Dusty Plot Bunnies scared of being deleted
by mandymld
Summary: Stories I may finish at some point in the future but had intended to delete. Was asked to post them as is, so here they are. Challenges, plot ideas from left field, all with Harry and co. Very little that are kind to Dumbledore though. Each title tells the plot idea. If you like, let me know.
1. Chapter 1

**Being a Father is Like Farming, There are Always Things to Do.**

 **Severus Snape stared at the scene in front of him and was mentally groaning as he realized that somehow, Albus Dumbledore was going to make this his fault when really it was the old interfering goat's.**

" **Get out, get out and take that freak with you." Lily's sister screamed as she looked at her husband on the gurney being wheeled out of her home by four fairly strong medics who were trying to figure out how to heft the man on it into an ambulance while wondering if they should contact the police who to their surprise were arriving in a squad car just as they exited the home.**

 **Looking at Potter who was standing next to him, staring at his aunt, then at the oversized boy Snape was sure was her son, the Potion's Professor sneered. "Petunia, if you would just settle down..."**

" **This is all his fault. He did this." The horse-faced woman charged her nephew only for Snape to stop her by discreetly showing her his wand.**

" **While Potter is many things, he didn't cause your husband's heart attack." Snape snapped. "Petunia, go to the hospital. Visit with your husband. Take your boy with you. We will talk when you get back. We will talk when you are less excitable."**

" **I won't leave that freak and you alone in my house." She shrieked. Severus saw the local constabulary arriving and was hoping they wouldn't need the oblivators, that was the last thing the large mess needed.**

 **Severus had never liked Petunia Dursley nee Evans, and her treatment of her of Harry horrific but he didn't want a public scene so he silently used a charm to knock her unconscious then called out to the medics coming back up the sidewalk to gather their equipment. "You have another patient. She fainted."**

 **The medic hesitated then came back in with a gurney from the second rescue vehicle and when they had removed Petunia, Snape quickly told them to wait to talk to Petunia about her husband.**

 **When the auror, no, police officer seemed to be unsure of what to do, Severus said "Her son will be fine here with us."**

" **I am here to speak to Mr. Dudley Dursley sir. However his parents need to be present so I will just wait outside until my supervisor arrives."**

 **Turning to the Dursley boy/whale; no he was more like a fully grown hippo after the ambulance had left and the officer had exited the home, Snape noticed he didn't even seem worried about his father, so he ordered him to his room. "Boy, I am not in the mood for your nonsense. Go to your room while I speak to Potter and don't come out until I give you permission."**

" **Who do you...?" The hippo sneered only to whimper when he looked at the dark man standing in front of him.**

 **Snape quickly silenced the hippo, then using magic backed him up towards the staircase. "Go, before I stop being nice."**

 **Once that was done, Snape saw Mrs. Figg entering so he turned to Potter and said "Where are your things?"**

" **My uncle locked them in the cupboard under the staircase when I got home." Potter replied still stunned to see his least favorite professor on Privet Drive. "Sir, why are you here?"**

" **I will tell you once we get away from here." He answered. Unlocking the cupboard, recalling it from his rather unfortunate trip into Potter's mind, he looked at the boy standing in the middle of the parlor and said "Up on the first floor, show me this room they moved you to."**

 **Harry wanted to refuse, everything in him said to keep Snape away but somehow he knew that this was his chance for freedom from the Dursleys.**

 **Silently walking up the stairs, he showed him his room and sat down on the chair next to the desk in the room.**

 **Snape looked around, his anger growing as he mentally killed both Petunia and her fat slob of a husband in the most painful way possible. "Stay here and pack up anything you want to take with you. No, scratch that. Pack up every single thing you own in this room."**

" **Sir?"**

" **Just do it." Snape ordered in a clipped tone before moving to the hippo's room. Opening the door, looking around, seeing the Dursley boy eating cake and playing some sort of game on a television screen, he asked "Where do you go to school?"**

" **None of your business, you freak." The overweight hippo snapped.**

 **Not bothering with being polite, Snape quietly performed Legimacy and took a look in the simple minded brain of the idiot in front of him. Getting his answers and more, Snape sneered and said "The last thing you should be doing is eating more of that crap."**

 **With that he transfigured the cake into Peruvian cockroaches and smirked before locking the door with the boy inside. Striding purposefully towards the master bedroom, Snape used magic to locate the safe he had seen in the boy's mind.**

 **A simple alohamora and he had the files and proof of what the Dursleys had been doing with the money they were getting to support Potter. Looking around, then moving towards the ground floor, he quietly did a reveal spell and soon found the box that Petunia had not been able to destroy.**

 **Removing it from the closet and relocking it, he went back upstairs to see that Potter had obeyed his request. "Sir, what about the food that Mrs. Weasley sent me?"**

 **With a cold smile, Severus packed it up and looking at Harry's owl asked "Does he know where to find Black?"**

 **When Potter looked desperate to avoid answering, he said "Send it to Black, tell the idiot that he was cleared this afternoon in the Wizengamot."**

" **What? Really?" Harry asked in shock.**

 **Snape handed him the special edition of the Daily Prophet and watched as he stood there frozen while he read the headline and then the smaller article regarding Sirius Black.**

" **How?" Potter asked stunned as he sank onto his bed.**

" **I will fill you in when we get out of here, along with everything else. Tell Black to find Lupin and meet us at Spinner's End." He replied.**

" **What's Spinner's End?" Harry asked.**

" **Where you will be finding out what is going on." Severus replied looking in shock at the boy in front of him. Albus Dumbledore had a lot to answer for, and Severus knew that Black and Lupin would be as furious as he was at what he had found out. He was sure that neither of them had an idea what Lily and their friend had been up to.**

 **Harry took one last look around after sending the food to Sirius along with the note and the Daily Prophet before telling him. "I think that is everything, sir."**

" **Where is your wand?" Snape asked then groaned as he realized he would have to begin to start calling him Harry.**

" **On my arm." He showed him the wand sheath. "Hermione got me this for Christmas."**

 **Nodding in silent approval, Snape said "Mrs. Figg is going to stay with your cousin. I was told you weren't aware that she was part of our world but she is a squib."**

" **Really?" Harry asked shocked as they walked down to the main floor and he looked around at the house for the last time.**

" **Severus, I heard what is going on." Arabella Figg said quietly. "How are you doing?"**

 **Looking at the woman who had known his mother, Severus replied. "I will be fine once we explain to Potter. If Albus shows up..."**

" **After I am finished putting a flea in his ear about this situation, I will send him on his way back to Hogwarts." She said grimly.**

" **Will you be okay with the boy?" He asked looking at the upper floor.**

" **I will be fine. Turns out that Dursley's blood pressure went up because there is an investigation into the boy. He tried to blame young Harry but since Dursley couldn't intimidate young Harry into confessing to a lie and the surveillance camera clearly shows the Dursley boy, old Vern lost it."**

" **Is Dudley being arrested?" Harry asked the woman while wincing at she told his potion's professor what had been happening on Privet Drive so far that week.**

" **He's in trouble for the break in at the apothecary, yes." She said.**

 **Before leaving the house, Severus said a quiet finite on the hex he had leveled at the boy staring at them out the first floor window and then walked to the waiting car.**

" **Sir, you can drive?" Harry asked in shock as he stared at the nice luxury sedan parked on the street.**

" **Yes, now get into the car so we don't draw the nice policeman's attention, Harry." He quietly hissed.**

 **Harry went to sit in the back-seat but rolling his eyes, Severus leaned down and said "I am not your chauffeur, get in the front passenger seat, Potter."**

 **Walking around the boot of the sedan, Harry opened the door and got inside the vehicle then stared in astonishment as his professor turned the key and started the car.**

 **Twenty minutes later when they came to the A1, Harry inwardly cringed at the idea of a wizard driven car going that fast but they soon arrived at what he was sure was Spinner's End.**

 **Following Snape inside, Harry looked around the dusty house and asked "Is this where I will be staying?"**

" **No, this is a way station of sorts." Snape said then used his wand to remove the dust covers. "It depends on how soon Black and Lupin arrive."**

" **Oh." He said then looked at Professor Snape and realized to his shock that the man was wearing muggle clothing. A pair of dark dress pants and a dark gray dress shirt, his hair tucked back in a small rubber band.**

" **Po-Harry stop staring. It's rather rude young man." Snape said from where he was seated on the divan. Looking at the boy, he said "What were you doing before the fully grown hippo had a heart attack? You look like a poorly fed street urchin."**

 **Looking down at the sweat pants that were way too many sizes too big for him and the T-shirt that was hanging to his knees and said "I was to paint the garage today."**

 **Taking in Potter's outfit, the trainers that looked even worse than the gray colored clothes and Snape shook his head and muttered an oath. "Stay here."**

 **Heading upstairs, hoping to find something, anything he might have left from his own childhood, Snape eventually found an old muggle band T-shirt that ironically Lily had given him and a pair of his old jeans. Digging some more, bemused to find a pair of sandals he had never worn still in a shoe box, he went back downstairs.**

 **Tossing the clothes into the washer and carrying the shoe box to the parlor, he said "When was the last time those idiots fed you?"**

 **Seeing Potter beginning to scramble for an excuse, Snape rolled his eyes and said "Follow me."**

 **In the kitchen, he did some digging and found some pasta and sauce then the appropriate spices before checking the rest of the kitchen out. "Have a seat, Potter."**

 **The meal was almost cooked when Severus heard the washer and told Potter to drain the noodles. Tossing the clothes into the dryer and returning to the kitchen to find the boy mixing the noodles with the sauce, he said "Why can't you ever show this kind of initiative in potions?"**

 **Not sure what to say, Harry was mentally preparing a response when an owl flew in and landed on the table in front of them. Holding out his leg to Harry, the owl was offered a treat by Snape then flew back out the window.**

 **Harry read the letter and said "It's from the Goblins. They are requesting a visit with me this week."**

" **I know. I already received the same request." Snape said. Harry looked at his professor wondering what was going on, but the smells coming from the pan had his stomach growling and he was beginning to feel like Ron.**

 **Dishing up the food, Snape said "There is butter beer or muggle soda pop."**

" **Soda is fine." Harry replied then once seated across from his professor with food and drink in front of him, asked "Sir, what did the Prophet mean that the Headmaster was in trouble and is that why I was removed from the Dursleys?"**

" **They aren't directly related, but yes there is a connection. We should really wait for Black and Lupin, Harry." Severus didn't think that Harry quite understood that while being in trouble with the Goblins was bad, it wasn't really an issue for the wizard government.**

 **Harry couldn't help noticing that Snape went from calling him Potter to using his first name, something that the man had never done before. Suddenly recalling the polyjuice potion, he cautiously asked. "Sir, what was it you said to me when Ron and I arrived at school second year?"**

 **The man's head slowly rose and his eyes widened then Snape smirked at him and said "Potter, I assure you, I am me. Now, to make you relax, I told you that you were seen when you pulled your rather harebrained stunt with the flying car. I still can't believe you two idiots forgot you had an owl with you."**

 **Flushing at the heated glare, Harry heard Snape muttering something about how Harry was going to drive him insane within a month if he wasn't reined in. When the man muttered something about how just because the boy needed love didn't mean he didn't also need discipline, Harry just wondered if the feared insanity hadn't already taking over Snape.**

 **Finished with their meal, they had no sooner sat down then Harry's owl arrived. Reading the note, Harry breathed a sigh of relief and said "Sirius said that he is with Remus and they will arrive in an hour. He also thanked me for the food."**

 **Snape, upon hearing the dryer stopping as they left the kitchen, went and retrieved the clothes, stopping to pick up the shoe box, he walked over and dropped the items on the sofa next to Harry.**

" **Here, go upstairs, shower and change before they get back." He ordered.**

 **Harry looked at the clothes and other than the length of the jeans, was happy to see that they should fit him. "Sir, where did these clothes come from?"**

" **The store Potter, it's this large building with windows and people inside who sell you things that sometimes muggles really don't need. Now, stop asking questions and go shower and change. One more thing Potter..." He replied sarcastically trying to avoid explaining that they had once been his.**

 **Harry looked up only to be smirked at yet again. "Try for once to do something with that hair."**

 **Showering and changing into the clothes, curious as to where they had come from and how Snape would have anything so muggle and reminded of the car, Harry slipped into the sandals and felt fairly normal for once in his life as he came down the stairs to where his Potions Professor was reading a book.**

 **Snape looked up, shaking his head as he noticed things he had missed before, or maybe just things he hadn't wanted to see and said "Let me shorten those."**

 **A fast tailoring charm later and the jeans were the right length.**

 **Harry heard Snape's question and was not wanting to answer it but decided in the name of the peace that had been in existence so far answered. "A little over 90 pounds sir and about five foot four."**

" **Remind me to brew you some nutrient potions." Snape said shaking his head to hide his anger and dismay at what Albus's lie had done. If only the older man had thought to speak to Severus, none of this would have been necessary.**

 **Severus looked over to see that Harry was now reading a battered book and was a bit surprised to realize he knew the title. "What are you reading?"**

" **It's a muggle book." He reluctantly stated. "Hermione sent it to me."**

" **The cover looks familiar." Severus replied.**

 **Setting the book down, Harry said "It's a muggle adventure story called the Hobbit. She sent me the whole series to read this summer."**

" **How did you keep it away from your relatives?" He asked.**

 **Harry admitted "I didn't. I grabbed it from my trunk when you went upstairs, sir."**

 **The sound of an owl flying into the room had Harry smiling widely as an owl landed in front of Professor Snape and held out her leg then the owl flew back out the window.**

 **Reading the note, Severus handed it to the boy who after reading what Sirius wrote looked at the man sitting on the chair across from him. "Sir, what is going on? Why don't they want you to tell me until they get here?"**

" **They feel you might need their support when you hear the news." He replied knowing that the last two maunders were reeling as much as he at the revelations that had come out due to the Goblins. "As for what is going on, well let's just say that the Headmaster meddled in something he shouldn't have. Something your mother did to protect you. It's why I removed you from your aunt's residence against the Headmaster's wishes today."**

" **Oh." Harry said then went silent as he looked at his watch. "Do you suppose that they meant five tonight or in the morning? I don't know exactly where Sirius is."**

" **With the speed your owl got to him earlier, he is nearby. My guess is that he was already on his way home when he received our note and the food." Severus was quite certain of that fact because his own owl the day before had returned within a few hours of his sending it. That the owl who had just entered was a Hogwart's owl had him convinced that Lupin and Black were talking to Minerva like he had suggested.**

" **Sir, is it possible for you to at least tell me why Mr. Malfoy did what he did and what he meant by he had an honor debt to Sirius that required him to turn in Wormtail?"**

" **Wormtail?" Snape asked then it hit him whom Harry was talking about. "You mean, Pettigrew?"**

" **Yes, Pettigrew. Why did Draco's dad hand him over to the ministry?" Harry asked looking totally confused as to why the dark wizard had done so.**

" **I am guessing there is an honor debt between the two of them." Severus replied trying to find a way to word it without exposing what Lupin, Black and he had to tell the boy.**

 **Harry frowned when it became clear that he still didn't understand. Severus looked at the young boy and said "The other part of that is rather simple. Harry do you understand that the Dark Lord isn't exactly the sort to share power?"**

" **Yes, he's a dictator." Harry replied.**

" **Do you really think that after almost twelve years of freedom, of doing what and when he wants, that Lucuis Malfoy who joined up when he was underage would want to go back to serving someone else?" Severus asked.**

 **Harry thought about it, then asked "So what you are saying is that Pettigrew was betrayed by someone he thought was a friend?"**

" **Ally would be a better description." Severus replied only to see Harry suddenly grin. "What is it?"**

" **I am just happy that someone treated Wormtail like he did my parents. So, what happens now?" Harry asked wondering what his potion's master knew.**

" **He will be given the veil. It's a rare punishment, most are sent to Azkaban, but due to what they now know about animagus and Dementors, they had little choice if they wanted to punish him for his crimes."**

" **What is the veil?" Harry asked.**

" **It's a room in the Department of Mysteries; behind the veil is a void, it's death." He explained wondering where all this curiosity was when in class.**

" **So he is going to die?" Harry asked wearing a frown. "Doesn't that make us like Voldemort? If we kill him?"**

 **Severus who was rather relieved that Lily's killer was going to die, didn't know how to answer that. "Yes, but Harry, if he is free, he will try to revive the dark lord. I also don't consider it the same thing. He had a trial, he confessed and was found guilty. He was given three options."**

" **What options?" Harry asked looking at Severus.**

" **The magical world has three options for condemned criminals, fed to the Dragons in Gringotts, kissed or the veil. He chose the veil." Severus replied.**

 **When the boy's eye widened in surprise, he was about to forestall more questions when he heard "There are dragons at Gringotts?"**

" **Yes, guarding the high security vaults." Severus replied inwardly worried that Harry's eyes had lit up at the idea of dragons. Seeing the boy's excitement he shook his head in annoyance and said "Trust me, you don't want to be visiting them, Harry."**

 **Harry really wanted to ask his potion's professor why the man seemed to have suddenly begun to call him by his first name, but this day had been the longest time they had ever been around each other without a war of words or anger so he stayed silent.**

 **He was feeling guilty about being happy that Wormtail was going to die that day but at the same time, he was glad his parent's betrayer was going to pay for what he did.**

 **Looking at his book and then at the man holding a potion's book, he offered "Sir, would you like to read one of the other books I have?"**

" **No, this is fine." The dark haired man replied then went back to his Potion's reference guide.**

 **Harry was almost to the end of his book when the floo lit up with blue flames instead of the usual gree. "Sir, there are blue flames in the fireplace."**

 **Severus knelt down and whispered the pass code and passed his unmarked arm through the fireplace to remove his safety precautions and stepped back to let Remus Lupin and Sirius Black through.**

 **Both men quickly looked around then tightly hugged Harry before Sirius said "Albus will be here soon."**

" **Potter grab your book. We have to go." Harry didn't understand why Moony and Padfoot grabbed his trunk and his Potion's professor grabbed his arm, but before he could ask any questions, the man in question pulled an old picture down from the mantle and said "Grab on, Harry."**

 **Harry felt sick when he finally landed onto the grass after what felt like hours. Kneeling and gasping for breath, he heard the trio speaking in hushed tones but at the moment he had more important things to worry about as he tried to keep his lunch inside his stomach.**

" **Cub, are you okay?" He heard and now that he was able to breathe, Harry looked up and nodded. Sirius smirked and asked "First time by portkey?**

 **Nodding and standing yet again, Harry looked at the three of them and said "I am never traveling that way again. I almost prefer floo powder."**

 **He heard quiet chuckling as Snape led the way to the large gated house. "Sir, where are we?"**

" **Prince Hunting Lodge." Snape replied as he used his wand to open the gate. "Fair warning, I have no idea the condition we will find the lodge. I didn't have a chance to scout the location after my visit to the Goblins."**

" **Will Albus be able to get here?" Remus asked and Harry was once again curious as to why all three men seemed angry at the Headmaster.**

" **No, only those I invite." Severus replied as they walked up the stone paved driveway to a large house built with river stones.**

 **At the door, Harry watched Snape pull out a large old fashioned skeleton key and stepped back to let the huge double doors open. Inside, they looked around the foyer to find that there was a central staircase that went up to the first floor and a door on each wall.**

 **Snape strode over and opened the door to the left. "Library. Looks to be in good shape."**

 **The door to the right lead to hallway that led to a parlor. Walking back, he said "Kitchen and staff quarters must be to the back."**

 **Harry looked around, catching Remus looking at him with a weak smile on his face and that Sirius seemed shell-shocked while Snape seemed in charge and almost pleasant to the other two men.**

 **Sitting down on his trunk, the confusion of his day and the unanswered questions sending him almost over the edge, he said "Good, now that we are safe will one of you please tell me what is going on?"**

 **Snape knew that he had been avoiding this discussion, some part of him scared to tell this boy the truth, another part was feeling conflicted at knowing he was about to destroy all of the boy's beliefs and yet a third part deep down was thrilled with the knowledge he had received this week.**

" **It's a long story, Harry. Do you think it can wait until we get something to eat?" Sirius asked sounding almost meek to Snape's surprise. "It's been a long day."**

 **The boy nodded and to Snape's surprise looked his way and asked "Professor, what about you?"**

 **Looking over at Black then at Lupin, he looked back at Harry and said "I will see what we can find in the kitchen. I had a Hogwart's house elf bring some provisions but I have no idea what they brought."**

" **You brought an elf from Hogwart's?" Lupin asked sounding stunned by what Severus was sure he thought a complete disaster.**

" **Yes, I chose a rather peculiar house elf." Snape said looking at Harry. "He was wanting to get paid and is only an employee, not bonded to the castle."**

" **What sort of insanity is that?" Black scoffed all the while wondering if Snape wanted them to get caught.**

" **Harry would you please call for the Prince Hunting Lodge's house elf?" Snape asked amused by the anger growing on the two marauders faces.**

" **How, sir?" He asked feeling completely bewildered. "I mean, how do I call for the house elf?"**

 **There was a soft pop and to the astonishment of Lupin and Black the small house elf threw his arms around Harry and was excitedly thanking him for taking him in.**

" **Dobby?" Harry asked looking confused.**

 **Harry felt the tight arms around his waist as the former Malfoy house elf hugged him. When he pulled back, Harry was happy to see he was wearing a small green robe and what looked like socks on his feet.**

" **Harry Potter is a great wizard!" Dobby said with a huge smile on his face as he again thanked Harry who had no idea what was going on. "Now that he has a family again, Dobby is hoping that Master Harry will let him bond with him."**

" **Dobby?" Harry looked at the house elf and felt sick at the idea of anyone wanting to bond, to enslave themselves to anyone else, let alone him.**

" **Dobby, would you please tell Harry how a house elf's magic works?" Harry heard Snape asking.**

" **Dobby needs to bond, to make his magic works, Master Harry. House elves need their master's magical aura to do magic themselves." Dobby quietly stated, his ears hanging low as he felt the rejection from the one wizard he wanted to bond with.**

 **Harry sat on his trunk and looked at Dobby and winced at the idea of what Hermione would say but he found it impossible to reject the elf in front of him. "Dobby, I will agree if you and I can come to an agreement about wages and time off."**

" **One sickle and one hour a week." Dobby stated.**

" **How about one galleon and two days off a week?" Harry countered and Sirius wondered if his godson understood magical money.**

" **Two sickles and one hour." Dobby replied.**

" **Two galleons and you only work mornings plus I buy you yarn so that you can knit as many socks as you want." Harry offered.**

" **Master Harry doesn't know how to bargain very well." Dobby said shaking his head in distress at the boy in front of him. "One galleon, one day but yes to the yarn."**

 **Harry looked at the house elf and was mentally hearing Hermione lecturing him but he still held out his hand and said "Deal."**

" **Deal, master!" Dobby agreed and vigorously shook Harry's hand. The house elf turned to Snape expectantly and Harry found himself doing the same.**

" **Fine, it's a deal." Harry didn't get why the elf was turning to his potion's master but when Snape began muttering something and he felt the words turn into charm that settled over the house elf and himself.**

 **Sirius saw the house elf pop out of the room and looked at Harry knowing that the time was coming that they had to fill him in on all that had gone on over the last two weeks.**

 **Minerva McGonagall had filled Moony and him in the tale of what had happened with Wormtail, and then had told them the timeline of what had been going on regarding the Goblins searching for the newest heir to the Prince lineage.**

 **How it had led to Severus Snape and the shocking news of Harry's connection to the mess. How Albus had attempted to interfere and how the Goblins had threatened to declare him persona non gratia within Goblin territory.**

 **McGonagall had informed the two of them that when Snape had learned the truth, he had destroyed the Headmaster's office and accused the man of interfering one too many times in his life.**

 **Looking at his godson, thinking how much his life was about to change and how difficult this was going to be for Harry even if it would improve his life, Sirius found that he truly didn't know if it was for the better or for the worse that he had feared to begin with.**

 **He found his eyes going to Snape who seemed to be in control but he was sure that when he heard Moony and his plan, the man would not be so calm. Yet at the same time, he couldn't help wondering what the hell James and Lily had been thinking.**

 **Yes, he could understand the fear and anxiety that had led them to make this plan, but he really doubted that James had thought it through clearly. He was almost positive that the idea to have Snape help had been Lily's, she had always believed that there was a better side to the man in spite of his choices and the terrible insult he had thrown at her fifth year.**

 **Harry wanted to protest what he felt was a delaying tactic when Snape called out for Dobby and asked him to escort Harry and his trunk to the family bedrooms. Before he could say a word though, the excitable house elf popped the trunk and Harry to a bedroom on the first floor.**

 **Dobby looked around, snapped his fingers and the dust on the furniture and the grim covering the windows disappeared. One more snap and the bedding looked freshened.**

 **Harry found himself now standing in a large room about half the size of his dorm room in Gryffindor tower. The bed was a huge four poster bed like his at school but decorated in Ravenclaw colors. Looking around, he saw an armoire and a large wood desk as well as an odd looking sofa that looked almost as comfortable as the bed in front of a long wall of bookshelves on either side of a huge fireplace that were more than half empty.**

" **Does Master Harry like his new room?" Dobby asked his wide eyes tracking Harry's face clearly worried the young boy wouldn't like it.**

" **It's splendid, Dobby." Harry replied as he sat down on the sofa and looked around. In the next second, his trunk had magically opened and everything inside it seemed to find a place for itself.**

 **His clothes went to the armoire. His current year books to the desk and the previous year textbooks went to stack themselves by subject neatly on the bookshelf next to the desk.**

 **His Quidditch books and the muggle books, Hermione had given to him soon joined them. His broom flew to the top shelf and his potions and school supplies danced over to spare shelves as well.**

 **Harry found himself watching his photo album going into the night stand top drawer, Harry grinned when his photo of his friends landed neatly on the waxed mantle. His invisibility cloak came out and slipped into the drawer on top of the photo album then the candy he had kept covered underneath it jumped into a conjured crystal bowl next to the sofa.**

 **In less than five minutes, Harry's trunk was emptied and his room looked like it was his. Dobby then showed him to the private in suite bath and Harry's eyes went wide as they took in the large bathtub that resembled a pool in the center of the room.**

" **Dobby are you sure this was supposed to be my bedroom?" He asked.**

" **Yes, Master Harry. Master Snape is in the master bedroom and the Wolfman and the doggie are in the two rooms in the west wing." Dobby said wearing a large smile.**

 **Wanting to ask Dobby why he called Snape master, he heard a loud boom and rushed towards it only to realize that he had no idea how to return to the ground floor.**

 **Seeing Dobby behind him, he asked him to show him down the stairs, not to pop him there so that he could find his way around the large house.**

 **Dobby grinned at Harry and showed him the way back to the main entrance then guided him into the large dining room where he found the three men. Sirius and Remus were already seated and Snape was kneeling and speaking to someone through the floo.**

" **What was that noise?" Harry asked breathlessly from running down the staircase and through the hall.**

" **Someone not invited tried to come through the floo network." Sirius said wearing a gleeful smirk as he looked at his godson. When Snape stood and walked over to the table, he asked "Why did you agree to let him come this weekend?"**

" **By that time we should have the family wards up and the magical support if he was to try to manipulate the situation." Snape replied grimly. Looking at his professor, Harry got the feeling that whatever was going on had to be bad. Why else would a man who two weeks ago been planning on letting Dementors kiss his godfather be working with the man.**

 **Then there was Sirius, he was shocked at how civil he was being to his potions' professor considering he hated the man. Looking at Remus, he found the man's soft golden eyes were staring at him. Swallowing the lump of fear in his throat, Harry asked "What is going on?"**

" **Let's head to the parlor. I am sure that Dobby won't mind bringing us in a snack." Snape suggested.**

 **Remus had been quietly observing the interactions since they had arrived at Spinner's End and it was clear that the news had thrown Severus into a tailspin but it was also clear from the way his eyes rested on Harry that the man would be able to move forward.**

 **He was worried about Sirius's reaction to whatever decision that Snape came to though. Sirius had been heartbroken to find out that Snape could and probably would choose to keep Harry with him. Padfoot's emotions since their first meeting in the shrieking shack had been shifting between such extremes that he knew his friend would need time and care to get past what had happened while he had been in Azkaban.**

 **He was only hoping that Snape would be able to move past their joint distaste for one another and allow Harry to remain in Padfoot and his lives.**

 **The four of them moved to the parlor and he saw Snape looking at the large dark grandfather clock and Remus noticed the time. Twenty-four hours from now, Peter would be going through veil. He felt such anger and resentment for his former friend, and yet, the idea of another death ate at his very soul.**

 **Sirius sat on the other end of the sofa from Harry and watched as Snape took the chair nearest the boy who due to the latest revelation connected such a disparate group of people. He saw Moony's eyes on his and knew that his old friend was worried about how he would react as they told Harry what had gone on during the last two weeks.**

 **He, himself was worried about that but he had gone to Godric's Hollow and made a vow to Lily and James that he would be there to support Harry no matter what. So if fulfilling that vow meant making peace with his second worst enemy, he would do so.**

 **Finally his eyes went to Harry and how thin and small his godson was. It created an inner anger, an absolute rage at the thought of his godson being neglected and raised by the Dursleys when there were other, better options that Albus Dumbledore had rejected in his opinion that he knew best.**

" **Harry, your clothes look better than they usually do, did that young friend of yours pick them out?" He asked looking at the jeans that fit and the Who T-shirt along with the leather sandals.**

 **Harry looked at Snape then at his godfather and said "No Professor Snape handed me these and told me to take a shower earlier."**

" **He was wearing rags I wouldn't use to clean out the first year cauldrons." Snape drawled and Sirius saw Harry wince and Snape have a look of regret at the words hurting the boy.**

" **I recognize that band. It was a muggle band that Lily liked." Remus replied wanting to diffuse the situation.**

 **Harry looked down in surprise and said "I just thought that name of the band was some sort of magical joke or something."**

" **Potter how on earth is it possible...never mind, Tunie has more to answer for than I knew." Snape said wearing a sneer as he glared off into the distance. "As for the clothes, they were mine, once upon a time."**

" **Really?" Harry asked in shock as he took in the muggle jeans and the T-shirt again. Shaking his head, he told his godfather. "Professor Snape drove a car. Can all wizards do that? Is there a spell you can learn?"**

" **A car, how interesting, Not very Slytherin of you, Snape." Sirius said in a weird tone that had Harry wishing he hadn't brought it up.**

 **Dobby brought in the requested food and once he had left, Sirius looked at Harry and said "When I left with Buckbeak, I went to a Black family compound that my dad never told my family about. I set the hippogrif free and was staying at the cabana on the beach."**

" **Is that where that bird was from?" Harry asked.**

" **Yes, it's a toucan." He replied then picked up a cup of the tea and a few biscuits needing the substance to strengthen his resolve.**

 **Harry grinned and said "Hermione knew and told us."**

" **Why am I not surprised?" Remus said shaking his head in amusement as he thought about Harry's young brilliant friend.**

" **When Pettigrew escaped, he was sure that he would be exposed so he went to someone he was sure would help him escape justice." Snape stated.**

" **Who would help him?" Harry asked. After a moment he said "That is how he ended up at the Malfoy house?"**

" **Yes, he managed to make it to the Malfoy Manor and hid in the stables until he saw Lucuis exit the house." Snape answered.**

" **Why didn't he just go to the house?" Harry asked looking at his professor.**

 **Sirius chuckled and Snape looked at Narcissa's Black cousin and said "You know about her fear?"**

 **Shaking his head in the affirmative, he was laughing when Snape told Harry "Draco's mother has a problem with any kind of rodent. The manor house is warded against them in the most painful way possible. If Pettigrew had tried to approach the house in his animagus form, he would have been immediately electrocuted."**

" **I thought wizards didn't use electricity?" He inquired.**

" **It's the best way of explaining the pain he would have felt." Sirius answered as he recalled how his young cousin had loathed rats.**

" **So why didn't he go to the house as himself?" Harry asked. "Why hide out in a barn?"**

" **Stables, Harry, not a barn." Snape corrected. "Remember, Pettigrew more than likely eavesdropped and knew that Malfoy is close to the minister. He probably was trying to be careful."**

 **Seeing Harry's face show he understood, Sirius said "Remember, Harry, Peter is a coward. He would never show himself unless he had no other choice."**

" **He chose the wrong dark wizard to visit though." Snape replied. "Lucuis has spent the last twelve years building up his own power base. He has worked on fixing his reputation and after his lapse last year; he would be very careful to stay on the side of the light. I am sure that when Pettigrew showed himself to Malfoy he was sure that he was safe."**

 **Sirius chuckled in spite of his disbelief as he said "Oh the irony of Peter being betrayed by someone he thought was on his side."**

 **Snape looked between Harry and him and said "Harry thought the same thing."**

" **He got what he deserved after betraying his friends." Harry clipped out.**

" **I just don't get what Malfoy meant by owing me an honor debt." Sirius replied. "I get why he turned Peter in. I just don't get his public response to the situation."**

" **What do you mean, Sirius?" Harry asked clearly hoping they would tell him all that was going on immediately.**

 **Looking over at Snape and getting that that part of the story should wait, he said "That is more the part we have to tell you about later."**

" **Why can't you tell me now?" He asked looking hurt.**

" **Harry, it's going to be a lot to take in." Snape's voice had changed to an even lower tone and Sirius found himself staring between the boy and the wizard sitting to his right. There was clearly an emotionally attachment growing from Snape to his godson even if Harry wasn't treating the older man any differently yet.**

" **Harry, for now, let's stick to the first situation, okay. We will be telling you the rest, but it's important that we tell you in the right order." Remus offered up and he saw Harry nod and Snape relax after watching Harry for a moment.**

" **Anyhow, from what was reported at the Wizengamot, Lucuis stunned Peter and put him in one of Narcissa's rat cages." Snape began talking again.**

" **I would feel sorry for him if he didn't deserve it." Sirius murmured. "Narcissa charmed those cages to be unbreakable years ago."**

" **I was called by Professor McGonagall to testify and she agreed to be there as an advocate if things went haywire." Remus said. "I arrived and was led into the full Wizengamot and we sat in the witness box only for Amelia Bones to stand up and tell Fudge she had caught the man who had given away your parent's location to he-who-must-not-be-named and who was responsible for the deaths of over a dozen muggles. My heart was in my stomach, terrified that I was about to see Padfoot kissed."**

" **I am sure seeing me there added to your confusion." Snape said as he recalled how he had been horrified by the news himself. He had gone to the Ministry to confront Albus after a visit to Gringotts that had exposed the old man's manipulations. He had known that if Sirius had been caught it would have destroyed any chance of peace or anything more with Harry.**

 **Remus began speaking again. "The next minute, she had two aurors bring out that charmed rat trap and she forced Peter into his human form. She immediately dosed him with veritaserum and within minutes he had spilled the truth."**

" **Lucuis was standing next to Fudge, smirking as Pettigrew told the whole Wizengamot about being betrayed by someone he had thought a true believer and that helped repair Malfoy's reputation as well as wipe the stain off of Blacks." Severus explained to Harry.**

" **So you aren't in any trouble?" Harry asked his godfather.**

" **No, he is in a bit of trouble. Pettigrew confessed about Black being an illegal animagus. He was facing a fine and the magical version of probation since they did so when underage." Severus said.**

" **I am required to register within the next month and they deducted the fine I had to pay from the blood money that they are giving to me for sticking me in Azkaban without a trial." Sirius growled.**

" **What is this probation?" Harry asked.**

 **Severus glared at Black then heard Lupin chuckling as the wolf said "He is to serve his probation at Hogwarts once he gets a medical all clear from St. Mungos. He is the responsibility of your Head of House since Minerva refused to leave him in the charge of Headmaster."**

" **What does that mean?" Harry asked looking hopeful as he watched his godfather. Snape felt tense as he faced that the boy would always be close to the idiot.**

" **It means that I will be tutoring, without remittance for the next two years at Hogwarts." Sirius answered. "From what I recall about your head of house though it more than likely means coaching the Quidditch team and grading homework."**

" **So you will be teaching?" Harry asked now looking thrilled.**

" **No." Snape clipped out. Seeing Harry look his way, finding the sadness in the eyes the same color emerald green as Lily's, he softened his answer. "He won't be in the classroom, Harry. Maybe if he decides to stay and teach after his probation but not for the next two years."**

" **Oh." Harry stated. "Still, at least I would get to see you when I am practicing quidditch."**

 **Snape was mentally replaying all the dangerous antics Harry had gotten up to over the last three years playing quidditch and was debating refusing to let him play when he realized that if he did so it would be a disaster.**

" **Why is everyone mad at the Headmaster though?" Harry asked though his yawn. He hadn't slept well. He had had a bad night at the Dursleys as his Uncle Vernon tried desperately to make what happened with Dudley's criminal behavior his fault.**

 **He had been locked in his room without food the last two days and had spent the night hearing his aunt and uncle going over things in their room. He had been terrified that Vernon would hurt him or worse as the man's voice had gotten louder and louder as he swore that Harry had to have put some sort of hex on Dudley to make him commit a crime.**

 **His aunt's shrill voice had gone up with each response until Harry had heard her saying that she wanted him, meaning Harry out of the house, no matter what.**

" **Harry, it's almost ten thirty, why don't we leave that part of the story until morning." Remus said softly. "I understand that you received an owl from the Goblins and that is part of this story."**

" **I am not sure I will be able to sleep if I don't know." Harry confessed.**

 **Snape had an idea, probably not a good one but he looked at the dark haired boy and said "I will be right back."**

 **When he returned, he was carrying two potions and called out for Dobby to bring in a glass of pumpkin juice for Harry. Once that was done, he handed Harry the two potions. "It's for your health."**

 **Seeing the boy's doubtful glance as he looked at the two vials, he said "One is a nutrient potion that you should take a half hour before bedtime and the other will help you sleep better."**

 **Harry looked between the three men and wanted to say he didn't want to take the potions, but he saw the expectant expression on Sirius's face so he drank them both down and said "Why do all potions taste disgusting?"**

" **Not all of them do." Snape said wearing a smirk. "Just the ones that you end of having to take. Now sit down and we will answer any five questions you have with the exception of questions regarding the Goblins, the Headmaster and what he has done."**

 **Harry yawned and bargained "Five questions a piece, right?"**

" **Five questions, total." Snape answered amused at the attempt to bargain.**

" **How about three a piece?" Harry asked hopefully.**

" **If you can stay awake long enough to let us answer each of the questions, I agree." Snape answered with a sidelong glance at Remus who was sure the man had given Harry a sleeping draught.**

" **Anything?" Harry asked while wondering why Professor Snape seemed in charge and why Remus and Sirius just seemed to be going along with his decision.**

" **Within reason." Snape answered cautiously.**

" **Okay." Harry agreed. "Remus, why didn't you stay in contact when I was living with the Dursleys or even my first two years at Hogwarts?"**

 **Remus winced and with a guilty look on his face said "Harry, in truth, I was too busy feeling sorry for myself. I thought two of my friends were dead and that the one I was closest to had betrayed them. I trusted the Headmaster when he told me you were safe with family and never questioned it."**

" **Okay, fair enough." Harry said then looking at his godfather asked "Why didn't you stay with me, why was it so important to go chasing after Peter. I needed you and you weren't there because of it?"**

 **Remus saw Sirius turn white then swallow before his friend admitted "I made a stupid impulsive decision that cost you a lot and I can never make up for it but I was so sure that you would be safe with Hagrid. He had calmed you down when I couldn't and I in truth thought that I was the only one who could deal with Peter. I didn't think things through."**

 **Harry yawned then looked at his potion's professor and asked "Why did you go from hating me to being so pleasant today?"**

" **Harry that is part of the mess with the Headmaster so how about another question?" Snape offered.**

 **He saw the boy blinking through his eyelids that were surely growing heavy and then smirked when the boy asked "Okay, how do you make your robes billow like you do? Hermione is convinced that they are charmed and Ron says that they are just trying to escape from you like everyone else when you are glaring at us like that."**

 **There was some chuckling but Snape never got a chance to answer as Harry's head tilted to the side and came to rest on the arm of the sofa.**

" **He's out." Sirius said surprise. "What exactly did you give him?"**

" **The power of suggestion." Snape answered dryly. Seeing the doubt on their faces he said "I gave him a double dose of the nutrient potion which works best when there is nothing else given to help him sleep. I will explain about that later."**

" **Should we call for Dobby?" Remus asked but Snape whispered a quiet weightlessness charm then lifted Harry under his knees and arms and then asked Sirius to get the doors.**

 **Minutes later, Harry's clothes were removed with a charm and his school pajamas were charmed onto him as Severus covered him with the sheet and light blanket. Sitting down, he carefully removed Harry's glasses then he placed them on the night stand closest to the door before brushing his hair off his forehead, softly said "My son."**

 **Sirius wanted to protest but in truth, Snape was correct, Harry was his son. When the other man stood there for several minutes, then seemed to realize that Sirius was watching, he stood and looked over at him. "I don't know why James chose me, but I won't let Lily down. Harry should have never had to live like he has been for the last thirteen years and I was part of it. No more."**

 **Sirius stepped back and followed the silent wizard back down to the parlor where Remus was still seated but talking to the house elf who made the tray of tea disappear and to their surprise a trolley with alcohol, muggle and wizard fire whiskey replaced it.**

 **Soon the three men were seated, they remained silent for almost an hour then Severus looked at the other two and said "There is something I need to tell you."**

" **More secrets?" Remus asked skeptically.**

" **Not a secret, exactly. More like a vow that was made fourteen years ago that is going to add to this mess." Severus said then reaching for three of the heavy old fashioned crystal glasses poured each of them some of the muggle brandy.**

 **Handing both of them two finger widths full, he said "When Draco was born, Lucuis asked me to be his godfather..."**

" **Oh Merlin." Sirius got as he recalled a conversation he had once had with James. "When James asked me about Harry, he agreed to be the godfather for any children I may have in the future."**

 **Severus smirked at the idea of Black procreating and then swallowed some of the very smooth brandy. "I am guessing you know what I am about to tell you."**

" **Lucuis Malfoy is Harry's godfather." Remus asked and tossed back the brandy, drinking it all in one gulp then pouring himself another. "How on earth did this happen?"**

" **Yes and exactly how Sirius described what had happened with Potter." Snape answered darkly before sacrastically continuing. "At the time, I had no way of knowing that my schoolboy enemy would find out that his wife and he couldn't have children together and that they would do a blood ritual using my blood to help father his son. I am so sorry that when I agreed to Malfoy's request, that I didn't consider that possibility."**

 **Sirius shook his head at the snarky tone from Snape and said "I still don't get how Lily did this and don't know how we explain this to Harry so the Malfoy being his extra godfather thing is the least of our problems."**

" **I will be right back." Severus stood and walked to the library where the books he had sent over with Dobby the day before were. Grabbing the one the Goblins had given him he went back into the parlor and tossed it at Remus sure that the ritual would be over Black's head. "Page forty-nine."**

 **Remus read the ritual, blushing as he understood what had gone on. He was thirty five years old but the description of the ritual was very explicit and there were still some things he preferred not to think about regarding his friends.**

 **Sirius moved over to stand behind Remus and read the page. Frowning as he got what Lily had done, he asked "How did Lily get your blood willingly? You were no longer talking at that point?"**

" **I saw Lily one day in Hogsmead." Severus said. "She simply asked and I have never been able to refuse her anything. I just never suspected why she wanted it.**

" **So basically, they used your blood to cure their issues and then uh, did the deed?" Sirius said weakly as bad images floated around in his head.**

" **Exactly." Severus replied. "What is worse is that Albus knew about the blood ritual and that Harry was also my son. The whole reason he was with Petunia was blood wards."**

" **Severus, what did you find when you went to get Harry?" Remus asked.**

" **First of all, Dursley Senior was in a middle of a heart attack when I arrived. His son's delinquient behavior became known to the police the day before Harry went home. He delusionally believes that Harry somehow hexed the boy into stealing drugs, cigarettes and liquor." Snape drawled out.**

" **Lily's sister was the same lovely piece of work who hates her sister. I sent her to the hosipital with her husband and her son was stuck in his bedroom. I left Arabella Figg standing guard along with a muggle policeman."**

" **I would guess from the way that Harry was so eager to move in with me, they were horrible to him." Sirius stated.**

" **His first bedroom was a cupboard from what I saw in the simple mind of that idiot hippo who passes for a boy. There isn't a single photo of Harry in that whole house. I did some research and found files that show the money that was given to them to support Harry went to buy luxuries to that fat slob of a son of theirs." Severus said with a scowl. "They received over a hundred and thirty thousand pounds over the last thirteen years. I doubt they spent a thousand pounds in thirteen years on him. He was barely fed, they only gave him hand me downs from the other boy. He has no medical records as well."**

" **I will make sure that they pay for each and every single hurt that created in Harry's life." Sirius vowed only for Severus to hold up his hand to stop his speaking. "What?"**

" **I am not stopping you from going after them, but you should wait, at least until we have dealt with the danger from Voldemort and Albus." Snape replied. "Albus wants to keep Harry under his control. We have to deal with that first, then the Dursleys pay. I will speak to the Goblins during our visit there tomorrow and have them retrieve the money that the Dursleys still have."**

 **Nodding, Sirius asked "Do you think that Albus is right, that Voldemort will try to return?"**

" **Yes." Severus replied.**

 **Nodding that he had heard, Remus asked "Why?"**

" **Albus is keeping it close to the chest, he won't share what he knows but after what happened last year with the diary and what Harry told Albus had happened, its not that hard to piece it together."**

" **What diary?" Remus asked.**

 **Severus looked at them then asked "What do you know about Harry's first year at Hogwart's?"**

 **Shrugging, Sirius said "I am sure that it was a typical first year, why?"**

" **Oh, it was typical if you think fighting a troll on Halloween, having your broom bewitched by a possessed DADA teacher during your first Quidditch game, going into the Forbidden Forest and facing Voldemort in wraith form as a detention and oh, and convincing Hargid to give up a baby dragon is typical." Severus sarcastically listed.**

 **Sirius looked at Remus and demanded "Why didn't you tell me about all of that?"**

 **The werewolf looked pale as he stuttered. "I only heard about the troll. I knew nothing about any of the other."**

" **Albus kept most of it under wraps but it all happened." Severus said. "First of all, the Dursleys tried to keep him from getting his letter and instead of dealing with it himself, he sent Hagrid to tell Harry about Hogwarts."**

" **That doesn't sound too bad." Remus said relaxing a bit.**

" **Except that Harry had no idea about the magical world, he should have sent MacGonagall or myself." Snape stated. "Oh, I should mention that he was on an errand for the Headmaster to retrieve the Philospher's stone from Gringotts."**

 **Groaning, both men realized that Hagrid couldn't keep secrets and knew that that had been a bad idea.**

" **He arrived at Hogwart's having befriended the Weasley boy on the train. Things were quiet at first, then on Halloween, the Wealsey boy insulted Granger and she ran to the girls's bathroom and cried in there all day."**

" **I hadn't heard anything about that, just that they saved Hermione from the troll." Remus said looking troubled.**

" **From what I saw when I looked into their memories, Harry was just as in the wrong, he stood there and let it happen." Snape said sounding troubled. "Quirrell was trying to get to the stone and wanted to use the troll as a distraction."**

 **Sirius lifted his glass and drank a large gulp of the alcohol. Looking at a smug Snape as he finished telling them the story, he said that was bad but it could have been worse.**

" **Oh, we are just getting started." Snape drawled and then said "I forgot the duel challenge with Draco. They were almost caught by Filch and had their first run in with the ceberus that the Headmaster had guarding the stone."**

 **In rapid succession, Severus told them about Harry's first Quidditch game and watched as they drank deeply of their drink. Next came the dragon and detention in the Forbidden Forest.**

" **Wait, I forgot to mention HOW HE ENDED UP ON THE QUIDDITCH TEAM." Severus said filling them in on that part of the story. By the time he got to the end of Harry's first year, a bottle of Scotch was completely gone and Sirius looked torn between being impressed and being terrified.**

 **Remus shook his head when Severus told them about the end of the year feast, his sense of fair play angry with what the Headmaster had done. "I am sure that just deepened the rift between your Slytherins and the Gryffindors, what was the man thinking?"**

" **In truth, while I think that Albus is a manipulative bastard, I think that he genuinely has feelings for Harry. He is just stupidly trying to make up for his mistakes in ways that is creating even worse ones." Severus said.**

" **So Harry's second year, that was the one where Lockhart taught and the Chamber of Secrets was opened, correct. Something about a snake, I believe." Remus said thinking on what he had heard from Minerva McGonagall.**

" **Yes, sounds rather unremarkable the way you describe it." Severus replied then with a wicked smirk told them the rest of the story. He watched them drink deeply when they heard about the flying car, then saw Sirius wanting to snicker when he told them about Hermione the cat. "It's amusing now but at the time, I wanted to strangle those dunderheads."**

" **Severus, she brewed polyjuice potion at twelve." Remus pointed out.**

" **Yes, I am aware of that fact. I am also aware of all the ways that potion can be messed up and the various consequences when it is done in a lab let alone in an abandoned girl's bathroom, Lupin." Severus said with a black glare the wolf's way.**

" **It does sound a bit reckless." Lupin admitted. "Still, it is astounding she succeeded."**

 **Severus continued on with his story and saw Sirius and Lupin turn green at the mention of the spiders. "What?"**

 **Stuttering, Sirius said "W-we are acquainted with those spiders. What was Hagrid thinking sending them into the forest?"**

" **The problem is that Hagrid sees dangerous creatures like that Hippogrif, the large spider and the thestals as wee beasts, nothing to be afraid of." Severus said as he watched the other two drink deeply of the whiskey yet again.**

" **Here I was thinking it was dangerous for me to be around Harry." Remus said shaking his head in a stunned manner his mind on his mistake at forgetting to take his potion at the end of the year.**

" **We haven't even gotten to the basalisk yet." Severus said and saw Remus choke on his drink before muttering the word basalisk. "I haven't seen it, but I am hoping Harry will show me the chamber at some point. The Headmaster said the snake was a good twenty feet long."**

" **Wait, how did Harry end up in the chamber?" Sirius asked and when he heard the tale was convinced that Severus was telling them a whopper of a story until he looked over at Remus. "You believe him?"**

" **I uh, heard something similar from Minerva last year. Minus how Harry had almost died. I am sure that Albus didn't tell her that part of the story."**

 **Severus then told them the story of how Harry had ended up with the gratitude of Dobby and what had happened with Lucius Malfoy. Seeing the smirk on Black's face, he added "I haven't filled Lucius in on the latest, but I think it will relive him a bit."**

" **Why on earth would it do that?" Sirius asked, his dislike for the blond wizard clearly heard in his voice.**

" **Lucuis lost his ability to do magic for a few days. Imagine if he had actually landed that spell." Severus said in a darker tone.**

" **He would have become a squib. So the magic knew even if we didn't." Remus said.**

" **It also explains my strange reactions to Harry." Severus admitted. Seeing them looking at him, he stated. "Every time he has been in danger, I have had the oddest need to make sure he was fine then shake him until his teeth rattled then wanted to hug the brat. It didn't make any sense considering how much he looked like James."**

 **Remus was bleary eyed as he looked at Severus. "Why didn't you do just that?"**

" **The idea that I wanted to hug James Potter's son was more horrifying than standing in the middle of the Great Hall and asking Minerva out." He said shuddering in remembrance at one of the less lethal battles between the Marauders and himself. He wasn't sure if it was a reminder of the humiliation they had caused or the icy reaction from his transfiguration teacher to his invite.**

 **Remus watched as Sirius let out a loud guffaw as he recalled that particular prank. "You were rather poetic, Snape."**

" **Don't remind me." He muttered as he glared at Sirius.**

" **That was one of James' ideas." Remus spoke up and said with a slight smile. "Of course, we had no idea you would, uh, well be so creative in asking her out."**

 **TBC, maybe**


	2. Chapter 2

While this isn't a crossover, I do use detectives from British police dramas so that I don't have to create characters completely. The ones mentioned are from DCI Banks, Inspector Morse and Inspector Lewis as well as Foyle's War. All of which I love to watch thanks to Masterpiece Mystery here in the states. Thank goodness for PBS. Last chapter was a Severitus challenge, this one is a mystery where Scotland Yard notices that students go missing from the public rolls and one detective meets the Dursleys and begins to question their treatment of their nephew.

* * *

 **Harry Potter and the Case of the Missing Students**

 **Prologue**

Alan Banks From DCI Banks

Annie Cabbot From DCI Banks

London, June 1994

DCI Alan Banks looked at his partner and gave a heavy sigh when he noticed she was once again looking at that secret file she refused to share with him. "Annie, either share with the class or put that away."

Lifting her head the blond asked her partner "Sir, would it be possible for you to meet with a friend of mine regarding what is in this file? I think there is something going on in Little Whinging and I need a fresh set of eyes to look at it."

Nodding, the tall man with silver hair stood and went to get some coffee, hiding his satisfaction at finally, finally getting her to talk about whatever was eating at her. Arriving at the address she had given him, he saw the sameness of the houses here in the suburbs of London and frowned when he arrived at the correct address. Being let in by Annie Nelson, he was soon seated in the parlor across from her friend who she introduced as Gwen Harkness. "Ladies, so what seems to be the issue here?"

The two ladies looked at each other then Gwen began so speak. "I was in America over the winter holidays and there was a horrific case of child abuse on the telly. Due to the holiday season, the news channels were playing up how terrible the situation was and how some generous donors and companies had come together to help the young victims. I came home on Boxing Day and ran into my neighbors the Dursleys out to dinner with his sister and their son."

"Do you think their son is a victim of abuse?" Banks asked.

"No." She said "I work for the Department of Childhood Development and Protection and I had to investigate a case involving another young boy who lived with the family back when I was a rookie."

"Okay." He said still not getting the interest.

"Sir, I had pretty much dismissed it when I heard about it, but after a few weeks, I started to believe her."

Gwen said "I came in contact with the Dursleys regarding their nephew during his first year of primary school. The central school system was concerned because the young boy's medical records were absent. I spoke to the aunt, Petunia Dursley. She said it was a simple mistake, that this nephew, Harry's records were sent to the school and that they must have lost them."

"I wrote up the report and was waiting for a contact at the NHR to send a copy to me so that I could ensure that they arrived when the school supposedly found the records and had sent them on. The thing is, my contact at NHR, who is my aunt a doctor at St. Luke's could find no trace of shots for Harry James Potter. There were however two incidents of broken bones that were reported to us but I found no trace of any records for this boy in our system. According to our records that was the first contact with the Dursleys. I let it go and forgot about it certain it was just a records snafu."

"You don't think that any longer though?" He probed.

"No." Annie replied. "Sir, there is no record of any reports of anyone having ever contacted the agency regarding Harry James Potter. None, not even the visit that Gwen made."

"Sir, I ran into the Dursley family at a local restaurant and was seated at the next table. This thick set woman with them was going on about how good it was to spend time with the family without that boy and how if this whelp is weak, take a look at the bitch. If she had had custody of this boy, I would have arrested her on the spot." Gwen coldly announced.

"So where was the boy?" Banks asked.

"We will get to that in a minute." Gwen said trying to stay on track. "I looked through my personal files, I am not supposed to but most of the investigators do so just in case we end up sued. I went to the office and to the stacks to find my original case file and to see if there were any other investigations. There was nothing."

"I asked around and at first no one recognized the name but two days later one of my fellow case workers came to me, said she had something in her personal files. She doesn't remember the case, but she investigated a broken collar bone that the boy suffered. Three other investigators couldn't describe the Potter kid nor the cases. They didn't remember him but they all had photos and interviews regarding incidents in their personal files of abuse in that household."

"None of them remembered him?" He asked skeptically.

"No, and the supervisor who sent me to investigate didn't remember assigning any of the cases." She said. "There is no memory or records for one Harry James Potter in the system at my office. The thing is, the boy, his eyes alone, they are rather memorable. He is a beautiful child in spite of the bruises in the photos we all have."

"Strange but someone must have some pull." Banks said, cynically used to people in power being able to wipe the system of their crimes.

"Sir, there is more." Annie interjected.

"My aunt is retired but still helps out at a local clinic. She located the abuse records that were on the computer system but not the handwritten files, she sent me copies including the scanned photos." Gwen said handing him the file.

Banks opened them and skimmed the file his eyes widening at the excuses offered for the incidents from the Dursleys and at the photos included. He could practically see the kid's ribs. "Any reports of neglect from the doctors?"

"Auntie did some checking around and every single one suspected that something was wrong and reported it to my office." Gwen stated. "I looked for the records of the Dursleys son and found out that he had a private physician. I did an insurance request for the Dursleys and young Harry isn't covered so he isn't being attended to by a physician."

"I went to Annie and she quietly requested his primary school files."

Banks read the files, terrible grades, bad behavior, unexplained incidents. "He sounds like your typical maladjusted kid in this."

"Dursley golfs with the superintendent of this primary school." Annie stated. "I spoke to a few of his teachers, one of which was his primary first year teacher. She said at the beginning of the school year, he did great, he could read when they started school. After the first report, he came to school with bruises and he stopped paying attention and doing the work, she reported it but..."

"No file?" Banks asked shaking his head as he began to get that someone seriously high up was interfering in protecting this boy.

"Superintendent Ingrams never passed the report on, said that he had spoken to Dursley and that the boy confessed to cheating." Gwen said disgusted. "I spoke to several of his teachers, all claimed to have been warned by Ingrams and like all good lemmings most of them followed the leader. The only one who didn't, went over his head and now teaches in a primary school in the East End."

"Ingrams retaliated. I spoke to her, she said that the Dursley boy seemed to make the Potter boy's life miserable but that he denied it when she questioned him. She said the boy seemed terrified she was going to tell someone." Annie said. "Now for the scarier part. Gwen..."

"I ran into one of Petunia's neighbors and we had a gossip session, she mentioned that the Dursley's boy attends Smeltings that public boarding school near Ludlow now. I asked about the other kid. The neighbor went on about how the boy was destructive. How he picked on kids in the neighborhood and destroyed property. Oddly enough not a single child reported Potter as having picked on them except Dursley's friends."

"When Gwen moved in, we would watch the two boys, from her garden. The Dursley boy ran the neighborhood with no supervision, the Potter boy only a few times in the evening. The yard work, the gardens, the normal upkeep, it's all the Potter boy during the summer. I have never seem the other boy lift anything more than food to his mouth or some expensive toy."

"Back to the school information. The neighbor mentioned that the Dursleys told her that Potter attends St. Brutus School for the Criminal Insane or something like that. I did some checking, there is a St. Brutus but they have never heard of one Harry James Potter."

"So where is he attending school?" Banks asked.

"We can find no records for him anywhere in the Britain Educational System." Gwen said. "Smeltings cost 10K a year sir. Dursley works for Grunnings, he could afford it but just barely and that means that the family can't afford all the new cars and attending footballs games as well as the twice a year holiday trips to Europe that they go on."

"So where is the money coming from?" He asked.

"I paid a visit to Smeltings. Spoke to an intake officer and while on our tour, we saw the Dursley boy. The man said that they only took Dudley Dursley because of a generous donation from his parents. I expressed my surprise that they could afford it. I mentioned I knew the family."

"What did he say?"

"He said that a donation was made from the Potter Trust to Smeltings, to the tune of over 100K, sir." Annie said and saw her boss's shock.

"Potter Foundation?" He asked.

"I did some checking. A bank account at Lloyds with over a few million pounds still in it. The Dursleys turn in receipts for reimbursement for over two thousand pounds a month to it. The records they handed over to the bank state that one Harry James Potter attends Smeltings." Gwen said as she handed over that file.

Thumbing through it, he looked at them and said "Clearly this is criminal behavior, yet you both seem on the fence. Why?"

"Sir, there is more." Annie said and handed over the next file. "Read the name on the deed."

"Lily Evans Potter." He read out loud. "The boy's mother owned the house on here on Privet Drive?"

"Yes, from the dates, she let her sister Petunia and her husband Vernon live there. I found records that had them paying a nominal rent until November 1981. There is no trace of paying rent since that date." Annie said. "There is a birth certificate for the boy, it lists his birth date as 31st of July, 1980. His father was one James Charleus Potter age 21, his mother Lily Evans Potter, age 21."

"Where are they or what happened to them?" Banks asked.

"According to the loud woman at the restaurant, Ms Marge Dursley they were a couple of drunks who died in car accident they caused. According to our files, they died at the hands of terrorists. Do you remember a string of odd deaths about that time, bodies that looked untouched except for a stunned expression on their faces?"

"Yes, I had one of those cases until it was requested by the Home Office." Banks said then felt something tickle his mind. Another case that had some odd connections. Deciding to do some looking around his own files from back then, he said "So why do you need my help?"

"The Potter boy always turns up mysteriously around the end of June. I would like permission to talk to him." Annie stated. "Find out where he goes to school, if he goes to school and ask him if he is aware that his aunt receives money for him and if he is aware he owns the house they live in."

"Let's look for some relatives or friends of the Potters. Do some quiet looking around so that we have someplace to send the boy when the time comes other than the government system." Banks said grimly.

Gwen thanked him and Annie walked him out to his car. Standing by the curb, she told him what she hadn't told Gwen and handed him the file. "Sir, when I went looking into the records, I found this."

"What is it, Nelson?"

"A list of names of other children who just seemed to drop out of the British Education System. I cross-referenced it with our files. Sir, going back to 1981, I found at least one odd death of a child age eleven. Most also had mentions of odd things happening around them."

"You think this case is connected?" Banks asked skeptically. "I thought that this boy just went missing ten months of the year?"

Shaking her head, Annie tried to tell Banks what was going on in her head but she didn't have any answers herself. "I don't know, but something is nagging me sir. I brought you in because it is almost time for the Potter boy to return. I still don't have any answers or even the right questions, at least not yet."

"I am going to let you run with it." Banks said then pulling out the receipt file, showed her what had convinced him that they had a case. "Did you happen to notice the name of this store on the receipt? Its why I am so certain we have at least fraud going on."

"Avon Big and Hefty. Yeah, I get what you mean. The Potter boy looks about eighty pounds soaking wet, maybe five foot three." She said feeling sick to her stomach. "Do you think any of these expensive toys went to him or were they all for the whale?"

"The reason we are stepping in. I would guess that the food which this Potter Trust footed the bill for didn't reach that boy let alone the clothes or toys." He grimly replied.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was seated at his last staff meeting for the year, trying to ignore the black glares coming off his Potions Professor. Severus was still angry about Sirius Black escaping.

"Albus, are you going to be able to persuade Remus to return next year?" Minerva McGonagall asked.

"After the students found out he was a werewolf, he feels it is unwise." Albus replied. "With the surprise we have planned for the upcoming school year, I have someone in mind that should be acceptable."

"When will we learn about this surprise?" Madam Hooch asked from her spot near the fuming Snape.

"Beginning of August." Albus replied serenely. "Now, I have to head out to attend the ICW sessions. Minerva, please only send an owl in an emergency. We will be rather busy preparing for the upcoming year and I still have to attend the Wizengamot sessions in London."

"We will be fine, Albus." Minerva replied then as he was about to leave, heard his question. "Oh yes, here you go. I have the newest list of the potential students for the upcoming year fresh off the scroll. We only have to bind the power of two students who rejected attending. It should be a great year."

The Headmaster left and Pomfrey handed Severus a list of potions. "The Headmaster asked me to stock up on these for the upcoming year, Severus. Are you sure you don't mind making them for us?"

"It will be fine. I will be working from Spinner's End." He stiffly announced. Looking at the exiting staff, he turned to Minerva and hissed "I am sure that you are happy your precious former favorite escaped."

Minerva McGonagall sadly shook her head "Severus, Remus told me what happened in the Shrieking Shack. Why you are still letting old grudges control your life is beyond me."

With that she walked over to stand next to him, placing her hand on his arm, she said quietly "Severus, Lily and you were friends, can't you let the past go and help them. Protect Harry. I know you see James at his most arrogant when you look at him, I get it. I know that he hurt you."

When the saturnine man tried to walk away, she tightened her grip and said "James regretted it and I know that he tried to apologize."

Scoffing, Severus tried to walk away only for Minerva to turn his face her way. "He heard you took the mark, Severus. He felt guilty. James knew Albus favored Sirius and him. He grew up, Severus. Loving Lily made him face that he was a snot nosed kid who needed to grow up."

Seeing the glower, she kept talking, hoping she was reaching him. "Yes, Harry looks like his father and tends not to think before acting but you know what is different from James?"

"Not a damn thing." He harshly answered.

"Wrong Severus, and that is why I keep telling you. You are blind. Harry already has compassion and cares about others."

"Have you ever seen him with the Malfoy boy?" He scoffed.

"I know. I have tried to speak to him about it." Minerva admitted. "Unfortunately, a lot of that is the result of his friendship with the Weasley boy. From what I heard, he was Harry's first friend in our world and he doesn't seem to see that Ronald's issues are of a personal nature and Draco's own behavior adds to it. I personally wish that I could find a project where they had to work together. They might realize that they are more alike than they know."

Severus sneered. "Potter is so blinded by the Weasley family and the Headmaster doesn't help the situation. You aren't much better."

"I know." She said then with a sigh told him. "During his first year, Harry tried to tell me something was up with the Stone. I ignored him. I was so sure of my knowledge and that they were wrong. They had the wrong guilty party but were right about what was going on. I want him to have the opportunity to come to me and yet I keep blowing it. So I feel guilty and over compensate the next time. The thing is, when I speak to him, I might see James, but I hear Lily."

Severus went to his office, sweeping the door closed behind himself and sat at his desk. Staring off into space, he finally admitted out loud what he had been thinking silently for a while. "The problem is I can't help feeling Harry doesn't respect his mother's sacrifice and resent him for treating his life so cheaply. Lily died so he could live but he keeps endangering himself without honoring her loss by thinking first."

* * *

London

DCI Banks and Nelson went to speak to their boss and handed her the file. Shaking her head, the woman looked at her agents and said "Speak to the boy, make sure the Dursleys know we will be watching and I want a team to interview each of those families who lost a child."

"You think there is a connection?" Banks asked.

"My mentor Morse back when I was the lone woman on the force, knew this old codger, Foyle. He had a case file from back then. He suspected he had a serial killer on his hands. Kids who supposedly went to some mysterious school in Scotland, one went missing almost at the same time, every single year. He kept a list."

"What sort of time frame are we talking about?" Nelson asked.

"From the end of World War Two. This Foyle would come around looking into missing person cases when the kid who was gone was eleven. No one thought it was anything, but Morse said that Foyle was one of the sharpest men he ever knew and kept the file when Foyle finally passed away. He had a female assistant who died a few years back. Her daughter came in and handed me off a second set of the files."

"What about Morse, is he still around?" Banks asked.

"He is pushing eighty but he might be. I will do some digging. Did you locate anyone who might have been friends with the family?"

"The Evans family?" Annie asked and when their Captain nodded, she said "Most are dead and we couldn't exactly ask Petunia Dursley but someone who went to primary school with them recalled another student who stopped attending class around the same time."

"She recalled them going to some mysterious boarding school and coming home for the summer. By the way, the dates are similar to when this Harry returns every year. She also recalled the sister was openly jealous. She mentioned that as they grew older, she would see the younger sister who was beautiful and well, you saw the photo of the older sister."

"This boarding school keeps popping up, doesn't it?" Banks said with a frown.

"Yes, anyhow the boy's father was a real bounder. Beat his wife and used his son for target practice as well. Family had some money but the father insisted on living off his paycheck which didn't amount to much."

"Where did the funds come from, then?"

"His wife was the daughter of a local wealthy family that kept to themselves. Her family tried to stop the marriage and Tobias never forgave them. Anyhow, Elaine Prince Snape passed away while the son was still a teenager and he inherited the family wealth BUT and this is the odd thing, he still lives in the lower middle class home he inherited from his father. The neighbor says he travels a lot, some sort of loner who reads a lot."

"She says other than buying books and his garden, he barely is there." Annie replied. "I did some checking around and most say he keeps to himself and never married. Get this, it must be odd name's week. This guy is named Severus."

"Mom must have been an ancient Rome historian. I seem to recall an Emperor with that first name." Banks said musing on why anyone who stuck that moniker on their son in this day and age.

"Okay, make sure you don't go alone to speak to him."

Annie nodded, not mentioning she had already knocked on the door that morning only to be told that the neighbor had seem him heading to the store.

* * *

Harry got out of the Dursley car and was sent to his room along with his trunk. "Boy, I am warning you, keep that owl quiet and stay out of sight."

Wondering why he had been told no chores this summer, Harry stayed silent, wondering what was going on. Uncle Vernon had seemed very nervous and his Aunt had barely said two words other than to warn him that she didn't want to see him at all.

In his room, he heard the Dursleys talking through the vent and sat down to eavesdrop. "What are we going to do?"

There was no answer at first then he heard Uncle Vernon saying "Maybe have him send an owl and tell one of those freaks so that they can fix it like they did when we were forced to take him to the hospital."

"We can't. If it was the old man it might have been fine, he covered up and just told us never again each time. He swore that Snape was neutralized."

"That scary bastard tried to kill me and all I did was toss the freak in the cupboard." Vernon replied.

"The only good part about it was it was the only time he came. The old man took over watching." Petunia fretted. "What should we do? I mean, Suellen says that her sister was interviewed by that Scotland Yard detective and she told her about that freak Snape."

"Maybe he won't do anything, maybe he will just tell the old man." Vernon said hopefully. "We need to make sure he doesn't send that ruddy bird out, it's bad enough to have trouble in the normal world because of that freak, we don't need those idiots who freed him two years ago back or worse for him to do what he did last year."

"I will go get some food for the bird, so that he has no excuse to let it loose. We lock the door and warn Dudders to stay away from Harry." Petunia said thinking out loud. "Maybe they won't even find Severus Snape, after all he might stay in their world."

"I told you I saw him last summer when I was in Spinner's End for a meeting with that Grunning's supplier." Vernon snapped.

"Are you sure it was him?" Petunia asked as she bit her lip in fear.

"It's sort of hard to forget a six foot freak who looks like that holding one of those wand thingies as he threatens to kill you." Vernon snarled. "Are you sure that you didn't get a reply from that old man? I thought he promised to come if we needed him."

"According to what I remember from Lily that Dumpledoors freak would have gotten the message already. It's been three days, Vernon. He ain't coming."

"Let's take the freak to Figg and go on vacation, that will work." Vernon replied hopefully. "Go to the bank and get the money and we can leave at the end of the week."

"Vernon, I told you that I took my receipts like normal, they said they have to verify them. They have never done that before. The banker said that due to some new banking rules they have to make sure we spend the money on that freak of a nephew of mine." Petunia's shrill voice had Harry wincing as his aunt began to complain loudly about some banker.

"Just take them the receipts again. How are they going to know any different after all this time, Pet? I will just have Geoffrey send something on Smeltings stationary saying that they feel Harry could do with a small vacation to recover from some event this school year. It worked when we had the Potter Trust pay for that donation to the school a few years ago."

"Potter Trust?" Harry thought. "What are they talking about?"

"What do we do with the boy? That freak Lily was friends with still might show up, so we can't leave him here and Figg let's him run the neighborhood. Would Marge take him for the time we would be gone?"

Harry heard Vernon cursing and then "I don't want to risk it, who knows what sort of stuff he might get up to and she would find out about his freakiness."

Harry listened to the two of them talking and couldn't help wondering how his aunt knew Snape and why she seemed afraid of him.

That was the part that had him thinking. Old man? He had been sure they were talking about the Headmaster but he knew there was no way that Dumbledore would have left him here if he was aware how bad it was for him.

Still the very idea of Snape threatening the Dursleys had him wondering what on earth was going on. Snape hated him. He would probably give them a job well done; not threaten them for hurting him.

* * *

Severus Snape was reading in his parlor waiting for a muggle delivery man when he heard the expected knock. Going to receive his package of the more stable muggle glass vials, he didn't bother to look up from his book as he said "Just leave the package on the table."

"Severus Snape?"

Surprised to hear a female voice, the raven haired potion's master closed his book and set it on the table then looked up to see two people standing there. A tall blond female a few years older than himself and a silver haired man taller than himself holding a badge. "Whose asking?"

"This is DCI Annie Cabot and I am Deputy Chief Inspector Alan Banks. We were hoping to speak to you about Lily Evans Potter and her son Harry."

Severus was stunned, he wanted to deny them entrance but the blond woman was holding a very thick file with Harry's name on it. "How did you locate me?"

"A woman you went to primary school with, Suellen Sayers lives down the street. She remembered you were friends with Lily Evans." DCI Nelson stated. "You are the only connection we could find to this Lily Potter."

Snape was stunned, years after Lily's death, he had expected to never hear her name in the muggle world. "We went to school together."

"Mr. Snape, were you aware that Lily had a son?" DCI Banks asked.

"Yes, Harry." Snape knew the best way to get information was to give as little back as possible but as honestly as he possibly could.

"Were you aware that Lily had passed away along with her husband James?" DCI Banks asked.

"Yes in 1981." Severus was glad he had the control to keep his grief to himself about Lily's death.

"Were you aware that young Harry was sent to live with his aunt Petunia Dursley?" DCI Nelson asked then added "What can you tell me about the relationship between Lily and her sister?"

"Yes, I was aware. I also knew that Lily and Petunia had a combative relationship." Snape replied. When Banks had written that down Snape offered "I was surprised to find out she had taken young Harry in."

"We are trying to locate someone else in the Evans family to take in young Harry, do you know of any other relatives? Or if Mr Potter had any family?" Banks asked, he was positive that this Snape knew something.

"Unfortunately, James was the last member of the Potter family. If there had been anyone else, I am sure that they would have taken Harry in." Snape said.

Hearing a knock on the door, he excused himself and went to answer the door. Signing for the package of vials, he saw out of the corner of his eye that the two detectives had sat themselves down and were spreading out paperwork. Thanking the delivery guy, he turned around and was about to place the box on his desk when his eyes saw the photos and he dropped the box, shocked at what he saw.

Banks saw the man in black looked paler than he had when he had answered the door as he dropped his package. The man seemed to be moving on autopilot as he walked over and lifted the photo of Harry age nine covered in bruises and wearing a cast.

"Who did this to Potter?" He harshly snarled as he advanced on the two detectives.

"First let us help you clean up that glass." DC Cabot offered and to her shock, he just waved at it and snarled to answer his question.

"Sir, let's sit down." Banks said as Snape began reaching for the various photos and shuffling through them, muttering under his breath.

Severus found himself seated as he looked at Cabot. "Dursley did this to Harry?"

"We think so. We don't know if it is the father Vernon or the son, Dudley. The kid has a reputation within the neighborhood and at school as a bully." Banks stated.

An hour later, Severus Snape was walking the two detectives out and silently saying a replicator spell so that he could keep a copy of the file. When the two detectives had left, he went back into his house and sat on the sofa still in shock.

Muttering a cleaning spell to get rid of the shattered glass, he mentally went over the thoughts he had retrieved from the detectives regarding Harry Potter and knew that if Albus Dumbledore had covered up the abuse before, with what he seemed to believe, the old man would leave Harry where he was.

He had seen that the detectives were thinking on removing Potter from the Dursley house and he agreed that it had to be done but he knew he had to find a way to protect the kid while not exposing the magical world. It was the least he owed Lily.

Sitting down, going through all options, Severus grimaced at what few options there were to do this. The Weasley family would take in Potter but he wasn't so sure that was a good option.

Molly Weasley meant well but she had too many children and not enough time. As a result, her younger children had more in common with wild animals than children plus that younger boy had too much influence with Potter. Ronald seemed to have no scholastic interests and that wasn't a good thing considering Potter's future was way more complicated than Weasley's simple plans.

Potter had few close friends and while he was sure that Hermione Granger was capable of being able to nag her parents into taking in Harry, he was sure that Albus would find a way to overturn things. Even if he stopped he manged to prevent Albus from sending him back to the muggles, he was sure that the old man would consider the Weasley option and that wasn't what was best for Potter. So what he needed was a non-magical solution and a magical one that would spike the machinations of the Headmaster. Clearly Albus was blind to everything but his greater good.

Throwing his head back against the top of the sofa as he realized that there were few options and that accepting the only one that had any chance of success meant doing a whole lot of work with people he hated to be in a room with and someone that would as way too many questions but that had his own reason to loath child abuse.

However, first he had a visit to make. No, make that two or three.

* * *

Harry could hear shouting down in the parlor and knew that something had yet again disturbed Uncle Vernon. He then heard the sound of Vernon yelping and his aunt squawking before complete silence.

Standing near the door, he heard the locks opening and to his shock, Harry saw Severus Snape opening his bedroom door. "Potter?"

"Sir?" He blinked almost certain that this was some sort of strange nightmare. He hadn't been home a week and yet, here was the one professor who hated him standing in front of him. The very man who blamed him for the way the school year had ended.

"Come with me." Snape demanded as he left the doorway. Harry hesitated then followed. After all he was still curious as to why his uncle feared Snape more than the Headmaster.

Taking a good look at his professor, Harry didn't know what shocked him more, that Severus Snape was walking down the stairs in front of him or that the man was wearing muggle clothes. The sight of Snape wearing a pair of black jeans and a black jumper with his hair tacked back was astounding.

"Potter, I am waiting." Arriving downstairs, Harry saw that his relatives were frozen, magically petrified and that Dudley was missing. Hearing the sound of thumping from the cupboard under the stairs suggested that Dudley had irritated his potions professor. Wanting to be amused, Harry was instead worried at how his uncle would react when Snape left.

"Now, Tunie, I am going to release you but if you open that foul and duplicitous mouth of yours, I will ensure that your son gets the same loving treatment that you gave Lily's son." Harry saw Snape wave his wand and his aunt open her mouth only for her to be silenced.

"Now, let's speak. Potter, who owns this house?" Snape hissed at Harry.

"My aunt and uncle, sir." Harry replied curious as to the strange question.

"No, you do. Your mother bought it for your father and herself so that they could have a place to stay when visiting family. She let it out to Petunia when she married Vernon Dursley." Severus explained, his wand pointed at Petunia who could be heard.

"We were told when Lily died that it was now ours." Petunia huffed.

"Liar." Snape hissed. "You were allowed to live here as long as you took care of Harry."

When she began to speak, he snarled for her to shut up. "Potter look at those receipts in that file on the table."

Harry lifted the receipts and saw that they were for various presents that Dudley had received and some paperwork regarding vacations and Dudley's schooling at Smeltings. "Sir?"

"All of those receipts were paid for by a trust fund created by your parents for you." Snape answered. "Petunia, how did you get past the safeguards on the trust fund?"

Her lips were now pressed together and the horse faced woman refused to answer so Snape muttered the incarnation and looked at her memories. Finding the answer, he muttered Dumbledore then looked at the red faced man next to Petunia.

Releasing him, Snape smiled and Harry found that more terrifying than his scowling at the other man. "So Dursley, you still fear me. Good. So this is what is going to happen. That door will remain unlocked, Harry will be allowed to come and go and you will feed him."

When the man started to speak, Snape pressed his wand into the fat layers in the man's neck and said "I made a promise to Lily, one that I turned over to someone else because I believed he had Potter's best interests at heart but that is now at an end. Every single morning, I will be arriving and removing Potter from this household. He will have breakfast before we leave, you will stay out of his way."

"Now see here..." Vernon went silent when the taller man pointed his wand at him. He felt something pass over him and demanded "What did you do to me?"

"I simply put a spell on your entire family that requires you to eat less than Harry. If he eats two slices of toast, you will only get one. If he gets half a bowl of soup, you get a quarter of a bowl." Snape hissed. "If you make the mistake of even thinking of harming Potter, you will end up in need of medical treatment."

"How dare you..." Petunia heard the thumping and rushed past Snape to the cupboard where her nephew had slept. Tugging the door open after unlocking it, she shrieked when she saw her precious son inside. "You bastard, let my son out!"

"Potter, how long was that your bedroom?" Snape asked idly.

"As long as I could remember until I got my letter for Hogwarts. It was addressed to the cupboard under the stairs." Harry confessed, feeling sick at Severus Snape of all people hearing this, especially since the man hated him even more after he had rescued his godfather.

"Petunia, in two weeks I want you and your misbegotten attachments out of this house. If you stay here, I will mete out the pain your husband and son inflicted on Harry over the last twelve years back on you." He ordered. "Oh, and don't worry about packing. If you remove anything from this house except your clothes, I will retrieve it. Potter's money paid for everything in your son's room, so none if it will be leaving. I am claiming your assets as payback for the school tuition and the food bills you claimed to have fed to Potter."

When Vernon began to speak yet again, Snape looked at Harry and said "Get me your wand, Potter."

Harry hesitated and Snape growled then pulled a second wand out of his pocket. "It's untraceable. If they try to hurt you, defend yourself. I put wards on the house to block out anyone finding out before I entered."

"Sir?" Harry didn't know what to think.

"Potter your mother died to protect you, while you and I will never get along, we can agree on one thing. You need to honor your mother's memory and letting these, these... Muggles get away with hurting you dishonors that."

Harry reluctantly took the wand and told Snape. "Sir, I know in theory you can use other wands, but when I got mine, I almost blew up Ollivanders trying others out."

"Try it, Harry." Hearing his first name on Snape's lips, had the boy muttering charm for his patronus. When the solid white stag appeared, looked around for the danger and finding none, left, Severus saw Petunia staring in half fear and half awe. When it worked, he looked at Snape who only nodded.

"Wow, it worked."

"It was your mother's wand. I removed it from the house after I heard about your parent's deaths." He confessed. "Dursley, I will be here tomorrow morning, Potter be ready."

Disillusioning himself, he ordered Potter to walk with him to the park. "Don't speak, just listen. You will be able to see me, but muggles won't. There are Scotland Yard officers wanting to speak to you and arrest the Dursleys."

Outside, Harry walked slowly as Snape spoke. "I will find a way to get you back to our world. Be honest with the officers about what the Dursleys did, we will get you to safety once they deal with your relatives."

Harry wanted to speak but saw the glare on Snape's face and went silent.

"Don't sent letters to the Weasleys in case your owl is intercepted. Send mail to Granger via muggle post and don't mention this at least not yet." He told the kid. Snape knew Harry might not trust him, so he said "I will speak to Lupin by the end of tomorrow. If you don't trust me, at least give me until then."

Kneeling to retie his lace, Harry quietly muttered "Until midnight tomorrow. Then I sent a letter to the Weasleys."

"Fair enough." Snape said almost proud that Harry seemed to be finding his brains and not just going on instinct.

At the park, Snape looked around then said "Stay here for about a half hour and don't let the Dursleys hurt you."

* * *

Sitting in her office at Hogwarts _Minerva_ McGonagall looked at Severus and then back at the file. "You are saying Albus knows about this?"

Pulling out the memory, he placed it into the Pensive and invited her to look in.

Minerva saw a very young Severus Snape, she would guess he was in his early twenties from how long the hair was. He was in his private quarters and speaking to the headmaster.

" _Sir, when I got there, Harry was locked into a cupboard under the stairs. He was bleeding from a head wound and his body was covered with bruises. He looked like he hadn't had anything to eat in days nor had a bath in that time."_

 _Albus looked at the man and said "I am sorry I had you checking on them. I will go and make sure that they understand there are going to be consequences for their actions. I am sure that my presence will have more of an affect on the Dursleys than yours."_

" _I think I made my intentions pretty clear at the point of my wand, Albus. Lily didn't die to so that her son could be tortured by those abusive muggles." Snape snarled._

"I will make young Harry my personal responsibility, Severus. Thank you for checking in on him but I feel it is best that you don't return to that house." Albus said putting his hand on the boy's shoulder.

Minerva pulled her head back out of the memory and looked at Severus then at the file. "You think he knew?"

"Yes, here. Watch my visit with the Dursleys." Minerva saw the muggles memories and felt the need to throw up. Pulling out of the memories, she looked at Severus Snape and said "Why and how could he?"

"I think that in his belief that this is all for the greater good he lost track that a small boy was being abused. He removed the memory from me, but the interview with the police returned it to me thanks to my occumlency. I have a plan. I need your help." He said then asked her to meet him at Spinner's End later that evening. "I need to make a visit to Malfoy Manor."

Seeing her frown, he said "We need Fudge, so to get him, we need Lucius."

"He won't help. Harry ruined his plan last year." She reminded him. "Then tricked him into freeing that house elf."

"He will." Snape said confidently. "Abraxas abused Lucius, oddly enough, it is the only reason he would ever help Harry."

"Oh and that house elf that Potter rescued, the reason he was treated the way he was. When Lucius would run away as a child after being abused, that house elf would locate him and bring him back. It's why he hates Dobby. Lucius can't get past it and refused to see that the elf had no choice. Now that he is master, he hurt the elf as badly as his father hurt him. Well almost, let's just say that Abraxas had some rather depraved interests that he used his son for."

When he saw Minerva blanch, he lightly looked at her thoughts and then said "He didn't abuse him sexually, he just forced him to watch as he abused others that way, both men and women then beat Lucius for refusing to help."

"I still don't trust him." Minerva said nervously.

"I don't either, which is why I need your help with the other two." Severus sneered as he nodded at her and walked out the door.

Lucius saw Severus striding into his study and said "You have no idea what you interrupted."

"Sorry." Severus replied then snidely looked out the window to where Narcissa seemed to be gathering flowers. "However it's still daylight. I would have thought you would have worked out your randiness before Draco arrived home from school."

"He is in his room pouting." Lucius said with a grimace. "He has been there since breakfast. We had a discussion about his grades among other things."

With a sigh, Lucius offered him a glass of fire whiskey and when Snape had sat down in one of his leather chairs, Lucius poured himself a new drink and looked at his friend. "So, what brings you here?"

"Albus Dumbledore." Snape said quietly. "He put Potter someplace supposedly safe with blood wards then claimed to strengthen them a few years later against the mark. Problem is, I crossed the barrier today. With that mark on my arm, that shouldn't have happened"

"You know where Potter lives?" Lucius said his eyebrows raised in shock.

"I have known all along. I grew up with his mother and knew he had been sent to his aunt." Snape said swirling the alcohol in his glass and staring at it. "Petunia Evans was always a bitch but Albus was sure that Harry was safest there. After an incident, he assured me that Potter would be safe, he lied to me."

" Is that really a shock?" Lucius mocked. "So what did the great Albus Dumbledore lie about?"

"I need a vow you won't tell Draco, Lucius." Severus said quietly before taking a sip of the strong whiskey. "If you want a chance to prove Dumbledore isn't the leader of the light he pretends to be, you will take a magical vow."

Lucius looked at Snape and after thinking on it, gave the vow promising to tell no one without Snape's permission. Seeing the dark haired man's surprise, he said "I will explain later. Something occurred at the Ministry this week that makes me curious."

Thinking on it, Severus gathered his thoughts then began to speak.

"First the blood wards are based on love. There is no more love in that house than in the house where I grew up. At least not for Potter." Snape said with a sneer. "The Headmaster promised to put a stop to it, instead he covered up when the muggle authorities tried to interfere in the abuse Potter suffered."

"What sort of abuse?" Lucius asked almost certain that it had been very bad otherwise Snape would never have gotten involved Lily Evan's son or not.

"Broken bones, bruises and scars. Neglect. Locked in closets. Worked to death and fed very little."

"That last isn't a surprise." Lucius said quietly. "Potter looks pretty scrawny and I remember his father as bigger, Lily was taller as well."

"He lived in a small cupboard under the stairs until he was eleven." Snape told Lucius. "They stole funds meant to support him and spent them on their fat slob of an offspring. I am interfering to keep them from exposing us to the muggle authorities."

"If you are here, I am assuming I play some small part in this scenario?" Lucius drawled.

"Albus is in Brussels for a month. I need Sirius Black freed and Potter's guardian before he returns. So I need you to influence Fudge." Snape replied. "There is something else, but before I mention it to you, I want to verify it."

Lucius thought about it, then said "I want something in return."

"I knew you would." Snape said amusement in his tone.

"Draco and Potter need to cease this petty war and to do that, the Weasleys need to be kept away." Lucius said. "I know that Weasley somehow got tickets to the Quidditch World Cup, Dumbledore's influence would be my guess, to curry favor with the boy. I want a truce to be attempted between Draco and Potter."

"That fits in with my own plans." Severus admitted. "So I will conceded to that request. I think that the youngest boy has too much influence on Potter. The thing is, the Granger girl is a different story. Potter needs her to be his voice of reason and he trusts her."

With a smirk, Lucius admitted "Draco is more scared of her than Potter."

"That might be a good thing. I have a plan that I will implement. It depends on Lupin agreeing but if he does, you need to sit Draco down and have a talk with him." Severus replied.

"What sort of time frame?" Lucius asked.

"My plan begins to go into play tomorrow morning." He said and saw the frown. "Something wrong?"

"I had plans for after you left, now I need to speak to my son. When Narcissa sends me to the sofa tonight, I will use the time to plot my revenge for the interruption." Lucius replied with a bit of a smirk.

"There are what, twenty bedrooms in this place. Why are you sleeping on a sofa?" Snape sneered.

"See that is why you aren't married." Lucius replied. "When your wife tells you to sleep on the sofa, you sleep on the sofa. Or you will never get back into your bed."

"You are a wizard and head of your house, Lucius, try acting like one once in a while." Snape sneered unaware that they had gained an audience. "I can't believe you are scared of your wife."

"Hello Severus." Narcissa softly greeted her husband's friend and watched as he tensed up and his hand now held his wand. With a quiet chuckle, she asked "You're not scared of me, are you Sev?"

Flushing, Severus saw Lucius hiding his smirk behind his hand and glared at his friend. "No, how are you Narcissa?"

"From the sounds of it, destined to be sexually frustrated tonight, don't suppose you want to help solve that since you apparently have distracted my husband for the time being?" She silkily queried knowing he would flush red like usual at the frank speech. She couldn't help wondering sometimes if Snape had ever had a sexual relationship that lasted longer than one night.

Severus quickly replied no and as he left he heard the sound of quiet chuckles from the married couple. Apparating when he reached the edge of the manor wards, he went home and reordered his glass vials, deciding that it had been way too long of a day and he still had Minerva and Lupin coming to visit.

* * *

Harry's day had been equally busy. He had found that his relatives arguing with Dudley in the parlor when he returned later that evening.

When the fat tub of lard came at him, Harry lifted his Mom's wand and showed it to him. "Just try me."

Petunia pulled her little boy back and whispered in his ear to stay away from Harry. Harry walked past them and went up to his bedroom and closed the door.

Pulling out his books, he sat reading as he heard them speaking to one another about what to do about the threats from Snape. Petunia wanted to flee, while Vernon wanted to get money somehow while Dudley just wanted to stay and fight for what he thought was his.

* * *

Remus read the file and gagged as he looked at the photos. Wiping away the tears, he said "I let my own fears keep me away and Dumbledore's emotional blackmail did the rest of the job. How could I let this happen to that sweet little boy?"

"Now isn't the time to be having self doubt. We have no choice but to deal with this by working together." Snape snarled. "Minerva, when is Albus due back?"

"August 3rd." She answered.

"Good. Remus, yes you messed up, we all did. I am going to see Amelia Bones tomorrow. Hopefully, we can fix things. Track Black down via a letter, Minerva and you will have to work together. I already left a message with that detective regarding custody of Harry. Tomorrow morning, Minerva is going to speak to the Grangers."

"What about the Weasleys?" Remus suggested.

"They have too many children and won't pass muster in the muggle world. Besides, they are too close to Albus and he already had a chance to try to cover this up. I am a known entity in this situation." Snape stated.

Seeing the skeptical expression on Remus' face, Severus said "In the muggle world, I am a respected teacher who owns his own home and has enough funds of my own to not take Potter's money, Lupin. I have a connection to the Evans family. Its only temporary custody but it will help blunt their investigation into our world as well as protect Potter from ending up in the muggle child system."

"What about the Headmaster?" Minerva asked. "He won't like this and can make your life miserable."

"The thing is, he shouldn't have been involved in Harry's placement from the beginning nor should he have been able to force Potter to go where he wanted him for the summer." Snape stated his mind on Lily. "Lily's sister won't stay quiet for long. We need to make sure that she leaves town before the police begin to press her. I don't like it, but she will expose us. I however do want her to run as a wanted criminal to protect Potter."

Two days later a man wearing swim trunks saw a large owl landing in front of him. It held out it's leg and he saw a note addressed to Padfoot. Opening the letter, he saw it was Moony's handwriting.

" _Padfoot, Something happened with Prongslet. Turns out Red's family has been abusing him. The muggle officials are involved and the only one doing anything is Snivellus. Yeah, you read that right, Snivellus."_

Sirius looked at the owl, then back down at the letter. Finding the code, he knew what to say and he was soon reading the whole story. Swearing softly, vowing to make Albus regret his mistakes regarding Harry.

"We have a plan, unfortunately we have to trust Snivellus. Professor Kitty is helping as well. Snivellus is going to contact the DMLE and give them the memory of what happened in the Shrieking Shack. He also is going to get them to speak to the smartest witch of this current crop of students for her memory."

What was Snape's game? Sirius was sure that he had one, after all the man had been rather eager to have him kissed this past spring at Hogwarts.

Deciding to head back to England, but he was going to track down someone who wasn't directly connected so that he could make sure that Snape wasn't pulling something.

Setting the Hippogriff free, Sirius went to shower and change. Thankfully this particular family estate had funds secreted away and spare wands. He had intended to stay there long enough to heal before going to bring Harry to him, but this changes everything.

Two hours later, he was in Ireland and moving towards Hogwarts. Arriving in London after taking the train from Edinburgh.

* * *

Harry had answered the door only for two Scotland Yard Detectives to enter and arrest his aunt and to inform her that her husband had been arrested at his office. "Where is your son, Mrs. Dursely?"

"Out with his friends." She said as they walked her out to the waiting squad car.

"Mr. Potter, we need to speak to you. Where you might be most comfortable." DCI Banks stepped back and let his young partner take charge with the abused young man.

Once seated on the sofa, Harry began to answer their questions about his childhood and what had happened at school leaving nothing out except the excuses offered by his family for the abuse.

When they asked about Marge, he told them about her dog Ripper and her past treatment of him. He told them about the room under the cupboard which had been his bedroom for ten years.

Walking up the stairs, he showed them the dog flap and the locks on his bedroom door. Walking in, he showed them the iron bars on the windows.

"Lovely owl, is he a pet?" Annie asked surprised at the beautiful white owl which sat there staring at her.

When Harry went over and pet the animal, she said "I am surprised they didn't object to you having a pet."

"Uncle Vernon did but since he is connected to my school, he just complained and mostly keeps the cage locked." Harry said.

"So you are attending school." She probed.

"Yes, Hogwarts, it's a boarding school in Scotland." Harry replied, using the answer that Professor Snape had suggested.

"Would you know why your relatives are telling people you attend St. Brutus?" She asked.

"No idea." Harry said. "I have never understood why they hated me so much."

"Harry we are going to take you someplace safe." She gently stated. "Do you have any family?"

"No, I could ask my best friend from school though." He suggested. "Her parents are dentists."

"For tonight, we will find a place for you to stay. I am not so sure what do with your owl, though." She said looking at the snowy white bird that was hooting softly. She was hoping that their plan regarding his teacher worked out because surely if the owl was a school thing, he would know about it.

Harry opened the cage and wrote a note to Hermione, then let Hedwig go. "She will go straight to Hermione. That's a friend of mine from school."

"That is astounding, did you train her to do that?" She asked watching out the window as the bird flew sideways between the bars and up into the sky before seeming to orientate herself then the large owl just flew away.

"Hedwig is a very smart owl." Harry replied as he watched the two adults staring at his familiar. Looking around his room, he closed his already packed trunk and then at the two police officers. "Are you sure that I won't be forced to come back here?"

"Yes, Harry." Alan Banks said resting his hand on the boy's shoulder to guide him out of the room. Nodding at Annie to take charge, he reached for the trunk and using the wheeled carrier that he had found in the garage removed all trace of one Harry James Potter from 4 Privet Drive.

At the station, Harry was led to a small interview room, his trunk placed near him after he had asked for it in a panicked tone. The tall blond woman had smiled at him and then had it quickly brought inside.

"Here, I hope you like cola, it's all I could find." A second uniformed officer said bringing the two cans of fizzy soda and a small pizza. Nodding at his boss, he quickly left and she sat down across from the boy to eat with him. Handing him a plate with a slice of pizza and one of the cans of sofa, she hoped to draw him out a little.

"So, Harry... I guess I want to start with apologizing for how long we missed the abuse." She replied then added "I uh, Vernon Dursley claimed your parents died in a car crash where they were drunk. Did they tell you the same lie?"

Nodding, Harry stayed silent, not sure how to explain about Voldemort without exposing magic.

"They lied to you. We have the records. James and Lily Potter, died at the hands of a terrorist organization. Your parents were very brave." she said and saw a small glimmer of pride in the emerald eyes across from her.

"I-I, I haven't believed their lies since I was sent away to school." Harry softly said unable to meet her eyes. "The day I came home from school, I overheard my aunt and uncle talking downstairs. They didn't know I could hear them. They were talking about money that my parents left for me. Is it true?"

Swallowing her sadness for this remarkably quiet and shy young boy, Annie said "Yes. Your parents owned the house you grew up in, a small farm outside of Surrey. Marge Dursely has been living there rent free for years. She was handed an eviction notice by the constables this morning."

Nodding that he heard, Harry looked at the slice of pizza on his plate and lifting it tried to take a bite. He so wanted to believe he would be safe, but he found it hard to trust adults and that this would finally be the end of his misery at the hands of the Dursleys.

"Vernon Dursley along with his wife Petunia were charged with fraud, child abuse, child neglect, child endangerment and grand theft as well as resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer." Annie told him. She saw him nodding again and added "Their son was charged with underage drinking, first degree assault, trespassing, vandalism, and theft as well. He is also facing resisting arrest and fleeing the scene of a crime as well as false reporting of a crime."

"Really?" He asked. Then after a few minutes, Harry looked at her and asked "So, what happens now?"

"It depends on the judge." she said. "The Dursleys are out of your life but there were two different petitions for custody of you."

"Who?" Harry asked in shock.

"Your teacher Severus Snape and after we spoke to one of your neighbors, a Ms. Figg but she isn't likely considering her age." Annie stated. "When I spoke to your professor, he was very upset about the abuse you had suffered. Were you aware of his friendship with your mother?"

"Not until recently. He told me that the school's headmaster requested that he not mention it to me." Harry said with a slightly hard tone in his voice to her surprise. "The thing is, he is the one who made me live with the Dursleys?"

Annie frowned trying to piece together the sentence then she realized the boy wasn't talking about his professor, no it was his Headmaster. "Harry, why on earth would the Headmaster at your school have any right to decide where you live?"

Shrugging at first but then his eyes met hers. "I don't know. I just know that he was the one who first put me with my Mom's sister. I never had any contact with anyone until I was invited to attend the same school as her."

Making a note to check into that, she asked "Do you want to contact your friend to see if your owl arrived?"

That earned her a small but clearly genuine smile as she saw him pulling out a piece of crumpled paper from his pocket. She could tell that it was a nice grain, like something she had seen recently on a wedding invitation she had received.

Handing over her cell phone, she watched as he pressed the buttons and then held his breath.

Harry heard the sound of Hermione's voice saying hello and his grin just took over his face as he said "Hey, Hermione. Did Hedwig arrive?"

The blond saw the smile and shook her head in amusement at how bright and cheerful the young boy became at the sound of his friend's voice. Guessing she had answered in affirmative regarding the owl, he heard her telling him about his relatives and then after a moment's hesitation he told her about his teacher.

"Mione, you won't believe who is helping me." He was queitly telling her. "It's Snape."

There was a response she couldn't hear then she saw the boy rolling his eyes and responding "Yes, I know, Professor Snape. Anyhow, he knew my mom and well it's a long story."

More words she couldn't hear and then the boy bit his lip before telling her "No, it's better not to contact the Weasleys just yet. Uh, Professor Snape is going to speak to Moony. Yes, Moony."

Annie made a mental note at how tense the boy was before he let out a soft laugh and then answered her. "Hermione, we have only been home a week. No, no I haven't started my homework. Yes, I promise. Now, promise me that you will hold off on worrying anyone just yet."

More words she couldn't hear but then he let out a soft chuckle and said "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Hanging up, he handed the phone back to the officer and seeing her raised eye brow at his last words, he blushed and then said "She uh, wanted to make sure I wasn't be forced to call her."

"And your response assured her?" She asked.

Still red in the face, he said "My dad and a few of his friends were pranksters at school and that was sort of their motto. Only four people knew that, well I guess eight now."

"It sounds as if your friend worries about you." She said cheered by the thought that someone cared for this young boy. "Now, eat. Trust me, that is great pizza."

Looking at her, he admitted "It is, it's just I don't really care for soda. It's not something I drink a lot of."

With wide eyes, she said "I do have some milk, would that be better?"

"Yes, please." He answered and she went to get him milk, astounded at someone that young preferring milk to soda. Returning it to him, she went to speak to Alan. "He is holding up better than I expected."

Alan who was finishing up with the reports told her "I had our people try to open his trunk when I saw how he was dressed, but it's lock was impossible to break through without destroying it. I need to arrange for something more palatable for him to wear."

"Has the judge made her decision?" She asked.

"She wants to speak to young Harry." He said looking towards the interview room where they could see the boy eating his meal. "The Dursleys were ranting and that nasty piece of work on the farm was worse than your friend Gwen described. Basically she worked herself up into a rage. Get this, Vernon wanted to dump the boy in an orphanage but he couldn't get away with doing so and still keeping the money."

One of their uni's entered the large office and tossed down a file and looking at Banks said "You might want to get the Dursley adults to central before our own people ruin the case by killing them."

Seeing their shock, he said "In the cupboard, we found several layers of blood that match the boy. Evidence that he really did live there for the first ten years he was with them. The Dursley boy was outright bragging about the way that they used that boy. He was treated as subhuman. Slaves were treated better."

Banks picked up the file and skimmed the reports, sickened at what the younger Dursley had admitted to. Looking over at the boy who was now speaking to yet another of his officers, he saw that they had handed him some papers that had him wearing a ghost of smile.

"One thing, the woman, she wants to bargain."

Looking at the officer, Banks asked "What does she have to offer up?"

"She claims the boy is a freak and that if we knew the truth, we would understand that she did what she had to to keep him under control." He said disgusted. "Her lawyer showed up and she clammed up for now."

"Keep me posted." Banks said and then looking at Annie who was now reading the forensic's file said "That professor of his has been in contact with CPS an they already cleared him to take the boy for now. Something more permanent possibly down the road."

"He was devastated at the sight of those photos." She reminded him. "I think that there is more to the story about his relationship with the boy and maybe his mother. I want to question the Dursley woman about him."

* * *

In London, a more odd looking group than was ever seen in the magical world was having a private meeting with Amelia Bones and Minister Fudge. A former Death Eater turned spy now professor at Hogwarts, the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, a werewolf who had recently resigned as a professor, a shaggy looking grim, and one of the wealthiest aristocratic pureblood couples in all of Britain were putting pressure on the corpulent Minister.

The man was stubbornly refusing to cede to their demands, but when a young girl was ushered into the room with two muggles, the sudden silence created a vacuum that her urgent words caused the man to listen more than he normally would have.

"Professor Snape, Harry was taken to the police station along with his trunk. Harry said to tell you. Hedwig led me here." She said breathlessly.

"Who is Hedwig?" Amelia Bones asked a bit worried that someone had known the location of a secret meeting.

"Oh, Harry's owl." Hermione Granger answered before adding "Anyhow, Professor, he said that you promised to help him."

"Yes, I am well aware of that, Ms. Granger. It's why we are having this private meeting." He said emphasizing the word private.

Holding up her hand as she regained her breath, Hermione said "Harry didn't want me to tell the Weasleys and at first I didn't understand but then I did. The Headmaster knew what was happening to Harry and for some reason he is refusing to help Harry leave isn't he. Anyhow, Ron sent me an owl and mentioned that he hadn't heard from Harry and now he and his brothers are plotting a rescue for tonight. If that happens..."

"Dumbledore would learn about it." Malfoy said as he looked at the muggles standing against the wall letting their very young daughter take the lead in the conversation hiding his disgust knowing that he had no choice but to do so right now.

Hermione nodded and then after looking at Professor Lupin and the large grim added "Yes. I almost sent them a note saying Harry was with me, but I knew that Mrs. Weasley would just override things if she knew Harry was there. She really wants Harry to spend summers with them for some reason. I mean, well, something seems odd about it."

Fudge grumbled and then looking at Malfoy saw the signal that he would get a small donation to his reelection campaign if he agreed to Amelia's request.

Looking at the Head of the DMLE, he replied. "I rescind the kiss on sight order and will do as you suggested. Now, how do you expect to track down Black?"

Lucius looked at Narcissa who smiled graciously at the little man she despised and lied straight to the man's face "I am going to ask my sister Andromeda Tonks and young Harry Potter to preform a Black family ceremony. It will locate Sirius and bring him home. However, it requires blood so we have avoided doing so."

In truth they were going to preform the Black inheritance ritual but if anyone were to look at it in their memories they would believe it was a locator spell.

"Why would you need young Harry?" Amelia asked staring straight at the dog she knew damn well was Sirius Black. She had done as ordered and searched for the escaped convict, but if she didn't happen to mention that the man had a safe way to hide, oh well. He had once been one of her better aurors and after his escape she had had serious doubts about his guilt.

"James and Lily appointed Sirius as Harry's godfather." Remus explained. "They did the traditional ceremony involving the exchange of blood as well as the more modern and accepted ceremony with Albus Dumbledore presiding."

Nodding at Lupin, Amelia stated to Fudge. "I am going to attend and when Sirius Black returns, I will administer the veritiaserum myself. Master Snape, if you would provide the potion so that no one will be able to say that it was tampered with. Your past with Black will prevent anyone from being able to make such a claim."

Severus tersely said "Yes. You should know, we sent a lawyer to the Dursleys but we don't have much time. He called me two hours ago, they want to offer Petunia a deal."

"Would you have any already made." Snape handed over the bottle and then looking at Granger said "Send the Weasleys a note telling them that Harry wrote to you. That he will write to them this weekend. I will go claim Potter. Minerva, perhaps you can find a way to delay the invasion of the Wealseys?"

Nodding, she had an idea. Harry might not be too happy but she was almost positive that with his new guardians he was going to find that school work would be more important for him, so she nodded and looking at an exiting Fudge said "How are you going to make sure that he doesn't cave in to Dumbledore when he returns?"

Lucius Malfoy let out a quiet chuckle that would have sounded menacing if he hadn't been on their side. "Leave Fudge to me."

Amelia rolled her eyes as Minerva McGonagall left and then looking at the dog said "Sirius, you look like hell. I want to see you in my office tomorrow at nine. Have a good set of memories to cover this past few weeks so that when I question you it won't expose whatever the heck is going on."

With that, the Head of the DMLE left those still in the room with their stupified expressions and went to do a little searching of her own.

The silence was deafening then Sirius changed back into his human form to see his cousin holding her nose and sneering at him. "Sirius, a dog? Seriously?"

"I like being a dog." He said defending himself before turning to Snape and asked in a brisk tone "What the hell did Albus do to my godson? If you are helping it must be horrible."

Snape nodded and without a word handed over the thick medical file he had copied from the muggle police officer. "These are just the ones that were documented. I ran a scan on Harry. How Poppy missed it I don't know. Though, I have found at least one instance of where I went to check on him that was removed from my memory and a notice me not charm on me. It also shows me James when I look at the boy and not Harry."

The silence returned except for the growls that could be heard as Sirius and Lupin looked through the file along with Lucius Malfoy. Narcissa had walked over to the clearly confused muggles and tried to find out enough to convince them to allow their daughter to stay with Harry that summer.

She had just about given up when she realized that they weren't thrilled that their only magical contact with Hermione seemed to be the Weasleys. Getting them to talk, she found the chink in Dumbledore's fence and soon realized that they blamed young Ronald for the troll that had attacked their daughter first year.

Overcoming her own prejudices so that their plan would work, Narcissa played the well born society witch that she was to a hilt and soon had them relaxed. Seeing how astounded their daughter was as she watched her parents with Narcissa, the tall blond woman decided to preempt the girl's concerns by quietly going to speak to her.

"Ms Granger, a moment of your time please." When they were away from the group of adults reading the abuse file and the muggles, she said "I owe you an apology for the way my son has acted. We taught him better than that. Unfortunately young Mr. Potter and yourself were caught in the middle of a long feud between the Weasleys and my husband's ancestors."

Hermione looked at the woman and said "You don't owe me an apology, Draco does."

A small smile on her face, Narcissa asked "Has anyone ever explained to Harry or yourself about wizarding customs and practices. Or have you only been given the standard Introduction to Wizardry that was outdated when I was a student?"

Hermione found it hard to be disrespectful to an adult so in spite of her misgivings on the motives of the woman said "No, I don't even know what you mean by the Introduction to Wizardry. Is that a book?"

Narcissa stiffened and with a slight frown asked "Severus, would you please step over here for a moment."

Snape did as requested, "Narcissa, Ms. Granger."

"This young lady just told me that she was never given the standard Introduction to Wizardry book." Narcissa said emphasizing the word standard. "I was under the impression that it was a requirement to hand this out to every single first year student at Hogwarts."

"It is." He said looking at Hermione and seeing her annoyance at having missed something then recalling her overeager reactions in class and quietly swore. Seeing the bushy haired girl's eyes go wide, he said "I know that the Slytherins received it and so did the Hufflepuffs. I will do a little bit of research. Ms. Granger if you never received that book, I owe you a huge apology."

Severus explained. "I have been downgrading your assignments under the impression that you were just ignoring the instructions in that book. It also explains your classroom behavior. Would I be right in suspecting that young Mr. Potter never received a copy either?"

"Harry never mentioned it to me." She admitted.

"When we are finished with this meeting, after I retrieve Mr. Potter, I will hand over a copy to each of you. I am rather surprised Mr. Weasley didn't mention it to you at some point. He had to have read it. While is homework leaves a lot to be desired, he does follow its guidelines."

"Ron hates reading. He wouldn't discuss any book, I mean, I don't even think he has ever read Quidditch trough the ages like Harry has and he is ten times more Quidditch mad." She answered. "Mrs. Malfoy, thank you for telling me about the book." 

"I think that I have an idea I need to speak to my husband about." The woman announced before formally bowing to Severus and nodding towards the young girl. She had laid down the foundations of her plan already and now she had to work on getting her husband to agree.

* * *

Minerva knocked on the door of the ramshackle house and when she was invited inside by Molly Weasley she greeted the many Weasley children gathered around the table.

Politely rejecting the offer to join them for a meal, she said "I do apologize for stopping by without owling first but after receiving an owl from young Harry I have been rather busy making some schedule changes for him."

"You have spoken to Harry?" Molly asked with a beaming smile. "We were worried about not getting any mail from him yet."

"Hedwig had to locate me as I wasn't at the castle. From the letter I received I gather it took him a few days to get past my wards." Minerva smoothly replied. "Harry has decided to change his electives after the rather unpleasant time he spent in Divination. He has asked about the coursework to take either Runes or Arithmacy. I agreed to his request but then decided to see if young Ronald would like to change his as well."

"No way." Ron said furious with Harry for not telling him about this. He had no intention of doing more school work than he had to. "Besides, I thought you couldn't change your electives once you have started them."

"You may drop a class and pick up a different one at any time. Now, I have arranged for a summer tutor so that Mr. Potter will be able to join the fourth year Gryffindors, I do have some bad news regarding the Quidditch World cup. Since I can't send a tutor to the Dursleys, Harry will be required to take an intensive class for the remainder of the summer. He said he understood and said that he would send you an owl once Hedwig returns to him. I believe he sent Hermione an owl to let her know."

"But Harry has to go to the World Cup." Molly blurted out. "Dumbledore..."

The red head went silent, as she recalled that the Headmaster had asked her to remain quiet about the treat he had arranged for Harry and his friends as well as the rest of the Weasleys.

"I am not saying Harry won't be attending." Minerva said as she read Molly's thoughts without needing any magical ablilties. Really the woman was like an open book. "I am saying that I will arrange for his tutor to bring him to the World Cup but he won't be able to stay like the others nor will he be able to remain after the presentation of the cup."

"Oh." Ron decided to send Harry an owl, hoping to make him realize that taking a different class was too much effort and that he was going to lose out on way to much. Besides, he was sure that Hermione was the one who pushed him into changing electives just because she didn't like Divination. Well too bad, Harry and he had enjoyed the class.

Minerva made her excuses and hurried back to Hogwarts just in time to see Flitwick frowning as he read a note. "Filius, is something wrong?"

"No, just an odd note from Severus." He said as he responded and when the owl flew off he said "Severus was wondering about the Introduction to Wizardry books. I told him that I hand them out during my meeting with all my first year students. I wonder why when I know from speaking to Pomona that he does the same that he was so interested."

Minerva said "With as much as he is dealing with now, I wonder why he was so curious about..."

The older woman sat down abruptly into her seat at the dining table in the Great Hall. Why would Severus be thinking about the Introductory book when he was working to obtain custody of Harry unless... no, the Headmaster wouldn't... no, it wasn't possible that he would forget to... no, it just wasn't... 

Lifting her glass and drinking down the pumpkin juice, she was staring glassy eyed into space as she shook her head as she began to fear that he would. Due to her responsibilities as Deputy Headmistress, Minerva arranged for all of her first years to receive a note from her along with that book. It was handed out by her prefects to all first year students.

Watching Filius head to his personal quarters, Minerva winced as she realized that she really needed to speak to her former prefect and past Head Boy, Percy Weasley.

She was aware that he was working with Barty Crouch Sr at the Ministry of Magic, so she used the floo in her office to go there. After a quick visit with a former student, she found the rather pompous eighteen year old.

Getting permission from Barty to speak to the boy, she closed the office door and asked "Mr. Weasley, I just had a rather interesting question owled to me and I was hoping you would have time to help me."

"I will do what I can, Professor McGongall." He answered.

"My copy of the list of rules for new Gryffindor prefects that tells them what their job requirements are is missing. I recall how well you did your job and was hoping that you would be able to recreate them so that I can hand them to your successor as a guide." She said "The only issue is that the publisher must have them this afternoon."

"Oh, I can recreate it in a few minutes." He said proudly and then using one of the copying spells he learned at his new job, he handed over a freshly minted copy.

"Let me take a look before I head out." She said after thanking him. Skimming through most of it she found what she feared and looking up asked him. "Mr. Weasley, I have one question about this notation here. Would you be able to explain what it is?"

Percy took the small book back and read where she was indicating. "Basically we all knew that you were busy with your Deputy Head duties. I was told by the Headmaster that handing out those books was my responsibility."

"Who did you give them to?" She asked and saw him tense for a moment and then he leaned in to whisper his response. Now boiling angry as she heard what he had to say, she tersely asked "Mr. Weasley please read the notation that I personally wrote at the beginning of the book to me."

Percy opened the book to the title page and said "As Gryffindor prefects, I expect you to hold yourself up as an example of the best traits of Godric Gryffindor himself. To treat ALL of your charges with equal respect and to guide them to being the best that they can be."

"Would you please tell me where in this book it suggests that you are allowed to do anything other than that?" She snapped. "You were to hand out those book to ALL incoming students. NOT just pureblood students. Now, I am very, very disappointed with you, young man. I will be speaking to your father about what you did and frankly, I will not marking it in your records that I won't be recommending you for any further employment or mastery opportunities. Frankly, Mr. Weasley I found your behavior appalling. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go repair the damage you inflicted on your fellow Gryffindors. You should know, even the Slytherins respected that particular rule."

With that, she exited the office and slammed the door upon exiting.

Percy flinched at the sound of wood hitting wood and the rather speculative look in his boss's eyes as he gulped and went back to work, staying as quiet as he could.

Minerva saw Arthur Weasley as soon as she entered his office. Still fuming, she demanded a word and once they were in his office, she put up silencing charms and rejected his offer of tea.

"Minerva, did the twins do something?" He asked well aware of the penchant his middle sons had for trouble.

"I am rather afraid that I have revoked my letter of recommendation for Percival, Arthur." She said. "During the time he was Prefect, he took it upon himself to decide who should and shouldn't receive the Introduction to Wizardry book. He openly told me that he felt that the required medical scans I order for all new students were a waste of time and that other than handing them my letter congratulating new students, he fulfilled none of responsibilities."

Seeing his gobsmacked expression, she said "He only handed out the Introduction to Wizardry books to pureblood students on the basis that he was told by Molly that only they needed it. You know how important that book is to incoming students."

"Why would Molly tell Percy that? She knows how important that book is to new wizards. She spend hours before Ron went to Hogwarts forcing him to read that book out loud to her. I am sure that Percy misunderstood what Molly meant, Minerva." He said still shocked at what she was telling him.

"I have no idea why Mr. Weasley did what he did for sure. All I do know is that I gave him specific instructions and he ignored them. I have never been so ashamed of one of my Lions having been Head Boy in my life, Arthur." She said as she stood. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go and spend the next few days trying to fix this mess."

Arthur nodded and watched her leaving before sending off a note to his family telling them that there was going to be a Weasley family meeting that evening and he would explain why when he arrived.

* * *

Severus arrived at the Police Station, looked over at Remus Lupin and said "Are you sure you can stay in control?"

Nodding grimly the other man said "I am going to let them gain their freedom and then do as we all agreed."

Entering the building, he found Harry sitting in a small brick room speaking to the female officer he had met the day he had learned the truth. "Harry."

"Professor." He said nodding at the man who once again was wearing muggle clothing. He found it strange that while of all of the wizards he knew, Snape of all people seemed most as ease dressed that way. Today he was wearing a pair of khakis and a crisp white dress shirt with a sport jacket and what looked like moccasins.

"DCI Cabot." Severus acknowledged the woman. "I was wondering if I might have a minute alone with Harry."

"I will be right outside, Harry." She said and stepped back to the main room to allow them to talk. She hated to be invading their privacy but she still hit the button so that she could eavesdrop.

Snape looked at Harry and quietly said "How are you?"

Harry had watched enough police dramas and had been warned by Snape during their meetings that the police might eavesdrop so he said "I am not sure. Scared, worried that this will be a dream."

"Your mom would be so angry with Petunia." Snape replied and seeing Harry's eyes widen at that statement, he said "I have been given custody, temporary for now. It's up to you."

Harry had had this explained to him and it was still surreal that his most hated professor would be the one to have custody in the muggle world but at the same time, for the past week, he had been very un Snape like.

"I won't ever have to see them again, right?" He asked yet again.

"No, we will also be putting the Headmaster in his rightful spot as your Headmaster. Nothing more." Snape stated.

"He can't retaliate against you?" Harry asked biting his lip.

Snape chuckled, to his befuddlement, Harry had been very worried about that the entire time. Now that he didn't see him through James Potter colored glasses, he found himself constantly reminded of Lily's caring nature. "No, I am safe. He can't fire me nor make my life harder. Besides, a certain Deputy Headmistress is firmly in our corner. There is more news as well. I found a way for you to rescue that rather mangy dog you became attached to last year."

Harry read between the lines and reacted without thinking as he threw himself at his Potion's teacher and hugged him tightly while repeatedly thanking.

Annie Cabot who had been joined by Alan Banks saw the tall man stiffen at the abrupt affection being bestowed on him by the teenager. She was concerned for a moment but what she saw next had her heart melting as the rather austere man returned the boy's hug, his face softened by clearly deeply felt emotions. "You shouldn't have to thank me for doing the right thing, Pot-er, Harry."

She saw the moment that the boy realized he was hugging teacher and the awkwardness both were feeling even as Alan handed her the file. "What is this?"

"The judge signed off on the custody agreement but only if I was sure that this teacher would be a good and caring guardian for the boy." he said and then looking in the room where they could hear the stilted conversation about what they assumed was the dog named Padfoot, he said "I think that this time, the boy will be fine."

"I will go tell them." She said and left to go hand over the paperwork. The two grinned as Severus Snape told Harry that they could return to his place. "Do you need help preparing a room for him?"

"I left it in the capable hands of the wife of a friend of mine." Snape said before adding "It's only temporary as as soon as we deal with the Durseys I will be moving Harry north where his father was from. It's what his parents would have wanted. They own property up there and I have a place nearby."

Annie said "It sounds as if you have it all planned."

Harry asked if he could go to the rest room and was directed to the correct hallway. Annie watched him leave and then turned to the other man. "Take care of that boy."

"I will. If I had had any idea... he would have never remained there. I contacted some of his parent's old friends, they are going to help me raise Harry. He will have the life he should have had all along." Snape said looking around the police interview room. "The Dursleys should have never been given custody."

"I have to say, this Headmaster overstepped bounds in what he did. I just don't get how this happened." Annie said hoping he might have something that she could use to put pressure on someone to tell the truth.

"He did and while I would like nothing more than to remove Harry from his school but I will have to be satisfied with insulating him from his manipulations. I wish I could say that he had the best of intentions regarding Harry. It's what I believed for years but it is becoming clearer to me and others that he has an agenda that we don't know about."

Harry returned then before Annie could ask what the other man meant by his statement but before she could ask him to explain, he arranged for Harry's trunk to be brought to the waiting car as he guided the boy out the door.

Annie watched them go and went to speak to her boss. Finding Alan already waiting, she said "I think we did some good."

"You did." She was told. "A legal representative from the Potter trust was just here. He informed me that they are filing a lawsuit against the Dursleys. It freezes all their accounts. Dursley had an interview with his lawyer who was in the meeting with Mr. Lupin and myself. The lawyer quit immediately afterwards."

"What about the boy?" Petunia Dursley had been very worried about her son and it had made all of the officers even angrier when they recalled how she had treated her nephew.

"Marge Dursley is claiming that she had no idea her brother was giving her money he had defrauded from the boy's trust or that he didn't own the farm. We can't find any proof otherwise and other than being an outright unpleasant sort of woman, she might escape justice."

DCI Hamlin entered and sat down in the only empty chair and after being updated, she said "Marge Dursley is refusing to take the boy. We also have possible animal cruelty charges pending. We found the skeletons over fifty dead dogs on the property."

Annie nodded and said "Not a surprise. Still at most that would be probation. Why would she refuse to take her nephew?"

"She claims that the wife, Petunia has bad blood. She blames her for all of this mess. Swears her brother would have never done any of it without his wife." Hamlin replied.

"The boy will end up in detention but that isn't our decision." Banks announced. "Now, when you have all your paperwork updated, turn it over to the presiding court officer, we have several other cases that need some effort put into them."

"Before you two leave." Their boss dismissed Hamlin before pointing to a nearby cart with several cardboard boxes. "Those were sent over by DCI Lewis from Oxford. He was Endeavor Morse's sergeant back in the day."

"Madam?" Banks looked at his boss.

"I looked through them last night. There is something odd there. Morse wasn't sure what he had but he took up Foyle's trail. The files prove that a child age eleven goes missing every single year back to 1945. In those files are lists of students who all seemingly drop out of the state school system to attend a public boarding school in Scotland. The thing is, Morse kept track and more than half of them never obtain jobs any where in Britain. Yet more than a quarter of the names have offspring. I did some checking. Young Mr Potter's family never had jobs. While the wealth you located explains that, what are the chance that that many children have no ambition to work anywhere and the resources to do so."

"What do you suspect?" Annie asked.

"I am thinking Government whitewash but it doesn't explain the missing children nor what is going on with young Mr. Potter. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark and I want the two of you to figure it out." Their boss said before she stood, then wishing them well returned to her own upper floor office.

Harry exited the police station and was directed by Snape to an estate wagon that was parked nearby. Once his trunk was placed in the back, they drove around the corner and to his surprise, they picked up Remus Lupin who sat down in the back seat and reached over to hug Harry.

"Lets get to Spinner's End. Once there we can tell Potter everything." Snape suggested.

It was a quiet fifteen minute drive and when Harry got out of the passenger seat of the car, he was about to close the door when he found himself engulfed in a tight hug and a face full of curly hair.

Those in the doorway couldn't help chuckling at the sight of Harry staggering from the momentum Hermione had had as she had rushed to greet Harry.

Sirius still in his grim form watched in amusement as his godson seemed unsure what to do with his arms at first before they wound themselves around the young girl who was just babbling away while holding onto him.

Remus removed the trunk from the back and had carried it up to the porch and was speaking to Narcissa Malfoy when they heard "Ms. Granger have some decorum or at least use your rather keen mind and release Mr. Potter before he passes out from asphyxiation."

There was an offended gasp and then Hermione apologizing to Harry before she released her friend. "It's okay, Hermione. I'm fine, I promise."

Harry saw Hermione take a step back and his eyes went to the porch where he saw Sirius in his animagus form and to his anger the blond hair that could only be a member of the Malfoy family.

He turned an accusing eye to Snape who held up his hand and said "I know you have questions and that you desperately want answers. Minerva is inside and so is Professor Flitwick. Yes, that is Draco's father but he is here for a reason."

"But-."

"I promise, more will be explained inside." Snape stated as he reached around Harry and closed the car door.

"It's fine, Harry. I know a bit of it and you won't believe what we have found out. It's unbelievable that someone I respected..."

"Ms. Granger, inside." Snape said getting exasperated with the girl. Harry docile followed Granger inside, their hands now entangled even as he glared at Lucius Malfoy who only returned the glare with an arrogant smirk. "Lucius, grow up. He is right to be concerned after your idiocy last year."

Narcissa let out a soft giggle at the way Snape took the piss out of Lucius and once they were inside greeted Harry with a quick statement. "Hello Harry. I'm Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother, I am cousins with Sirius and unfortunately married to the idiot standing behind you."

There were some chuckles from the adults while Harry absorbed the fact that there were so many people in the house. Looking at his Charms professor who was speaking to a woman wearing a monocle and holding a wine glass, he saw the half goblin wave before returning to his argument.

He saw Snape handing something to Professor McGonagall who was ordering Sirius to behave while Remus returned from the upper floors. Harry saw two muggles who were clearly uneasy as they spoke to Madam Pomfrey who seemed angry about something.

Harry was about to move to speak to Sirius heard the Malfoy's speaking and realized that Draco's mom was ordering Draco's dad to sleep on the sofa that evening.

"Harry." The sound of someone speaking his name caused all conversation in the room to cease.

Minerva guided him to the sofa and Harry heard Malfoy grumblings to his Potion's professor about the quality of his glasses before they were all seated and gathered in a semi circle around himself.

For the next few minutes, he was told about how Snape had ended up being visited by the two muggle officers which he had already known about but he figured that not everyone in the room was aware.

"Harry, what you haven't been told is that when you were about six, the Headmaster sent me to check on you." Snape told the boy. "I removed you from their home and brought you back to Hogwarts with me after threatening Vernon Dursley with at the very least death."

"If you took me out of the... the Headmaster returned me." Harry said getting it and feeling sick to his stomach.

"He also removed the memory." Remus murmured to Harry. "We think that he removed memories from several of us in regards to your care, Harry."

Harry found it hard not to whine when he cried out "Why?"

"We don't know. It's why the rather uh, unorthodox group is here." Minerva said softly as she saw Hermione comforting Harry at the same time that Sirius in his dog form crawled up on the sofa next to him and buried his head in his lap. She watched Harry pet the animagus and seem to calm down but knew that this wasn't the worst that they had to tell the boy.

"Harry, when Severus came to me looking for your Hogwarts medical file, he saw a confoundus charm flare up on me when he questioned me about how I had missed your abuse." Poppy said feeling sick. "After he removed it, I ran a similar test on him. He was clear as long as he wasn't thinking of you."

"When I did look at the file with your name on it, we found a strange version of the notice me not charm, that changes what I see when I look at you." Snape said feeling very awkward at confessing this in this room full of people. "I see your father, not you. Not Lily's son. I was also charmed not to notice the abuse."

Harry felt ashamed at everyone knowing his secret but Snape knew how the boy felt and he knew that other than Lupin and Black and the Grangers the others in the room knew his secret so he said "Most children with unhappy family lives end up in Slytherin. I am rather good at figuring it out because my own childhood was very similar. I normally see it in the rest of the students and with the help of their Heads of House do what we can for them."

Emerald eyes met ebony and Snape kept contact as he nodded in the affirmative. "You aren't the only one. You are however the only one whose life instead of fixing that I made even worse. It shouldn't have happened and if your mother were here, well she would have straightened me out

TBC, Maybe


	3. Sirius: Stupid Cupid

**A/H: The war ended with Harry defeating Voldemort in the cemetery during his fourth year. Wizarding world rejoiced. Harry asked out Hermione that summer. This story picks up just after they returned to school from Christmas break.**

 **Sirius: Stupid Cupid**

 **Chapter One**

 **Harry looked at Hermione as they worked on their Charms homework in the library and then asked "Hermione, is there some rule you know of in Hogwart's a History that says teachers can't be married?"**

" **Not that I know of." She absentmindedly replied as she wrote out her latest homework assignment for Professor Snape. Harry knew that she was determined to get a compliment out of the greasy git if it was the last thing she did in his class. "Why?"**

" **It's about Valentine's Day." He answered his mind on his thoughts and missing that there were two others in the library whose ears perked up at his sudden interest in a holiday over six weeks away.**

 **Hermione frowned as she reworked a part of her potions essay. "What does that have to do with anything?"**

" **Well it's just that I realized that most of the teachers are single. I mean as opposed to those that are just old like the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall." He answered.**

 **Hermione looked up and said "Harry I would hope that Professor McGonagall doesn't hear you referring to her as old, she might take that pretty prefect's badge away."**

 **Chuckling, Harry looked at her in disbelief. "Hermione, do you really think I would live long enough for her to do that?"**

" **Please, you defeated a dark wizard after taking on a basilisk and a dragon, but are afraid of our transfiguration teacher?" Hermione asked skeptically.**

" **Voldemort only wanted me dead, Hermione. Professor McGonagall wanted me to dance in public, twice now. Insisted I read that book on how to be a gentleman and that is not even including the fact she is in charge of Sirius for now."**

" **Being a bit dramatic tonight, aren't we Harry?" She asked wearing a slight smirk then in an offhand tone that should have warned him that he was in trouble asked "So are you saying that if it wasn't for Professor McGonagall you wouldn't have asked me to be your date at the formal ball this year or last year's?"**

" **Yes, well no. I mean, I was going to ask you out, but I really didn't plan for our first date to be at a ball with all eyes on us and me tripping over your dress hem while our best friend glared at us while wearing his worst nightmare of an outfit." He answered before leaning over to kiss Granger. "You were beautiful that night, but I prefer this you, the one that takes my breath away just by smiling."**

 **Malfoy who had smirked at the mental image he had had of Granger slapping Potter around, felt the smile slip away as he realized that Potter's words had saved his bacon with the scariest classmate they had.**

" **Still, why are you so interested in our teacher's marital status?" She asked curiously.**

" **It was something that I overheard Sirius saying regarding Snape and why he is always in such a grumpy mood. Anyhow, when we were talking later, he mentioned Professor Lupin and that pretty auror, Tonks. She's his cousin and has a thing for the Professor." Harry asked.**

" **Snape?" Hermione asked in shock. "Really?"**

" **No, Lupin." Harry asked laughing at the idea of Snape on a date. He would scare the girl away by sneering and glaring before they even went to dinner. "Anyhow, I was thinking that maybe we should help Tonks out."**

 **Hermione shut her Potions textbook then stared at her boyfriend. "Harry, what are you talking about? How do you think we can help Tonks out?"**

" **It's just that I overheard Sirius talking and..."**

" **You really need to cure yourself of your eavesdropping habit, Harry." She said sounding disapproving and Malfoy started nodding in agreement then flushed as he realized he was doing some eavesdropping of his own.**

 **None of them noticed the fourth person in the library who had snuck into get a book he had accidentally left earlier that evening and was finding himself once again entertained by the idiocy that was Harry James Potter.**

" **ANYHOW..." Harry pushed on, knowing that once he told Hermione his plan, she would help him. After all she liked Professor Lupin too. "I was thinking since Professor Lupin seems to think that no woman would ever like him, we could... Well talk all of the other female teachers into helping us build some confidence in him."**

 **Blinking as she absorbed Harry's explanation, Hermione wanted to protest this but deciding she needed more clarification. "Are you talking about them dating Professor Lupin?"**

" **No, I mean, that would defeat the purpose if I wanted him to date Tonks. What if he decided he liked one of them more or worse, what if one of them decided they liked Remus more." Harry replied using his typical convoluted thinking.**

" **Who are you thinking of asking?" Hermione questioned.**

" **Well, Professor Sinestra, Poppy, she likes me as long as I am not a patient." Harry replied. "I wasn't sure about MacGonagall, I mean she is sort of old and stuff. Maybe you could ask Professor Vector or the new muggle studies teacher. I mean we don't have a lot of choice here at school. I was thinking maybe Madam Rosmetra down at the Three Broomstick would help if asked too."**

 **The professor in the corner was almost amused at the idea of letting Minerva hear what her favorite student was saying until the know-it-all began to speak as he was by the affronted look on Granger's face when Potter's voice went a little higher than normal at mentioning the barmaid from the Three Broomsticks.**

" **The problem is that like there is a dearth of women, Professor Lupin and Professor Snape are really the only younger male teachers, Harry." Hermione's tone had just a hint of ice in it as she looked at her boyfriend.**

" **What does that have to do with anything?" Harry asked confused.**

" **It's like...most of the girls at school knew Lockhart was an idiot, but frankly, he was relatively young, and not bad looking in a pompous idiot sort of way." Hermione replied.**

" **Okay. So what? I mean what does the fact that girls went nuts for that fake have to do with anything?" Harry asked.**

 **Hermione leaned back in her chair and her known audience of her fifteen year old boyfriend and the unknown one of two Slythernins all began to listen. "Okay, it's like this. Girls aren't much different than boys. Why did you like Cho for a while, Harry? She was pretty, yes but well you soon learned that she was petty about your being better than her at Quidditch and was bullying Luna Lovegood with a lot of the Ravenclaw girls."**

 **The professor scowled, not liking that no one on staff had been aware of the bullying, he wondered if Flitwick was.**

" **I guess I liked Cho because she smiled at me that day on the pitch. Hermione, that was before I found out she was doing so to try and throw me off my game." Harry reminded her.**

" **You still liked her because she smiled. Well in spite of being a raging narcissistic fake, Lockhart smiled at the female students."**

 **Draco couldn't help remembering in disgust, that the former professor had done the same to the male students too.**

" **And..." Harry asked not getting it.**

" **Okay, well the only other single young professor is Professor Snape, and he is so cynical and strict, none of the girls would ever get a crush on him in spite of his voice." Hermione answered.**

" **His what?" Harry asked confused. Draco was having the same thought while the man in the corner was cringing.**

" **Serious, Professor Snape's voice is sort of nice." Hermione said her own voice getting tight as she blushed. She saw Harry looking at her like she was insane, so she explained. "Most of the girls would NEVER admit it in front of the guys, but we like his voice."**

" **You too?" Harry asked.**

" **Well yes, I mean the package that it comes in, surly and mean tempered and way too controlling is a turn off but I think he does that because he is so young."**

" **Young? He's like old. I mean he is the same age as my parents." Harry reminded her.**

" **So?" Hermione said. "It's not like we think actually want to date a professor, Harry."**

" **I don't get it." Harry said sounding torn between bewilderment and nausea as he looked at his girlfriend. "Snape, really?"**

 **Shrugging, Hermione said "Yes, actually he isn't that bad looking either. I mean, once he washes his hair but then that is from the potions anyhow, so I am sure that during the summer he is just a normal wizard."**

 **Potter was looking at his girlfriend like she was polyjuiced and suspiciously asked "What really happened with the troll in first year?"**

" **Harry!" Hermione laughed as she got what he thought. "Ron upset me and I went to hide and cry. You came to rescue me and brought the red headed git with you. You forgot to be a wizard and attacked the troll and I had to tell Ron who was in the doorway to use the levitation spell since your wand was clearing out it's bogeys."**

" **Okay, then one more question before I bring you to Pomfrey to be checked for a confundous spell. What is the pass code for the map?"**

" **I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." She said laughing. "Harry, seriously, I am not crazy. Do you remember Percy Weasley's girlfriend Penny Clearwater?"**

" **Yes, why?" He asked.**

" **She was the first girl I heard about having a crush on Professor Snape, Tonks told me that when she was a sixth and seventh year it was the same way." Hermione said.**

" **Because of his voice?" Harry asked not getting it.**

" **Yes, now come on, let me tell you why your plan won't work." She said. "See, it's not only students that notice the lack of single male professors. The female professors do as well. Professor Vector is dating Kingsley Shacklebolt, so she might help but Sinestra kind of has a crush on Remus. I heard Pomfrey telling Molly Weasley about it last year. She liked Professor Snape but he was rather mean to her so when Professor Lupin joined the staff and was polite, she developed a crush."**

" **So, we shouldn't ask her help setting up Remus and Tonks, then." Harry said sounding disappointed.**

" **It would be as cruel as my asking Ginny to help me prepare for my date with you." Hermione said softly.**

" **So that is out."**

" **Not really, we just need to refine your idea. Maybe ask Professor McGonagall for help. She has a soft spot for Professor Lupin and I saw her smiling when she saw Tonks flirting with him when we were last in Hogsmead."**

 **Harry was quiet then said "You know, if this works, maybe we should help Professor Snape get a date."**

" **Really? You mean as a prank or something?" Hermione asked surprised.**

" **No, I mean, think about it. He spends the entire year with all of us. When does he have time to meet women? I heard that the Headmaster kept him busy with some project for the last couple of summers and I have the sinking feeling that they might have had something to do with what happened at the graveyard last year." Harry said quietly.**

" **And you want to get him a date because of what?"**

" **Well, I mean, why not. If we can help Professor Lupin, why not help Professor Snape?"**

" **Because there is someone already interested in Professor Lupin who we know he likes back. I mean what if Professor Snape doesn't like women?"**

" **Snape doesn't like the human race, Hermione." Harry answered. "Still, I mean, I guess we should find out somehow. I would hate to hurt his feeling and be trying to set him up with a girl if he really likes guys."**

 **What are you up to Potter, the blond boy thought to himself.**

" **Harry, what is with this sudden interest in other people's love lives let alone, Professor Snape's?"**

 **Harry took a deep breath then said "I am trying to keep Sirius from getting killed. I overheard him telling Susan Bone's aunt that since he can't go back to being an auror, and that since he has more money than he knows what do with, he has decided to be a match maker."**

" **Oh god, that is a disaster waiting to happen." Hermione said in a fatalistic tone.**

" **Yes and I overheard him plotting on helping Professor Lupin and Tonks." Harry said then admitted "I also heard him saying something about setting Professor Snape up on blind dates. Emphasis on the word blind. I just have this image of Padfoot ending up as potions ingredients if Professor Snape got wind of it and this is Sirius, Hermione. He wouldn't be able to help himself, he would confess to setting him up on a date just to torment Professor Snape."**

" **Oh my god. Please tell me that Sirius was drunk when he said this." She asked horrified at the mental images her brain kept showing her.**

" **No, completely sober." Harry glumly replied. "What's worse, he took a vow. At least it wasn't a magical one."**

" **Oh god, Professor Snape will kill him." Hermione said groaning out loud. "And with Sirius' idea of help, Professor Lupin might just help him."**

" **It's worse than that." Harry looked down at his shoes under the table then mumbled something then looking up again told her. "He uh, I saw him sending Draco's Mom an owl today.**

" **So, they are cousin's aren't they?" Hermione asked.**

" **Do you know what else Mrs. Malfoy is?" He asked.**

" **No, what?"**

" **Married to Lucuis Malfoy." He said soberly. "He is going to ask her to ask Draco's dad to help."**

" **Oh god, I knew we should have insisted that Sirius spend some time at St. Mungos." Hermione said as the horror of the situation became clear.**

" **Apparently Sirius is working up to playing matchmaker for them, too. I don't get it, but I heard him saying sometime to Tonk's Mom who is her sister. I don't even get why he is playing matchmaker to people already married but, well I am worried." Harry admitted. "It's all our fault, well mine anyhow."**

" **Because he thinks he got us to talk and admit we wanted to be together?" Hermione asked quietly.**

" **Yes. I didn't tell him that we had already talked during the Hogsmead visit at Valentine's last year. I was just trying to make him happy that he had succeeded, I had no idea what I was unleashing." Harry admitted. "He has these lists of who is related to who and then list of attributes and who would work out with who. It's like he is planning for a war, Hermione."**

" **So what you are saying is that Sirius is determined to be Cupid."**

" **Yes, and we have until Easter when he takes over for Professor McGonagall so that the Headmaster can go to London to find a way to run interference or we are in serious danger of either Snape blaming us or Padfoot ending up in a potion." Harry said sounding doubtful of stopping his godfather.**

" **Maybe we could get him locked up in St. Mungos?" Hermione asked hopefully.**

" **Then I have to go back to the Dursleys." Harry reminded her.**

" **No, I can't go six weeks without at least seeing you." Hermione quashed that idea. "So we have approximately six weeks to do what exactly?"**

" **I am not sure except the Lupin/Tonks thing. I guess we should find Professor Snape a date." Harry said. "Do you think we could get him to join one of those computer dating things?"**

" **Harry I think we would have an easier time convincing Professor Snape to adopt you than we would getting him to go on a date with a muggle he has never met." Hermione admitted.**

" **Snape would marry Sirius himself before that would happen." Harry said and Hermione began to giggle as she mentally imagined the two men getting married.**

" **What?"**

" **I just was imagining the two of them standing in front of the Headmaster getting married." Hermione replied in spite of the giggles. "You know the part in muggle marriages when the officiate says til death do us part. They would kill each other before it even came to the part where they said I do."**

" **Plus, I am sure that they both prefer girls." Draco said dryly as he moved forward and sat down to their shock. Looking at the two of them, he said "I uh, I'm in."**

" **In what?" Harry asked as he looked at his former adversary.**

" **I have been eavesdropping this whole time." Draco confessed.**

" **Why didn't you tell us you were there?" Hermione said glaring at the blond.**

" **It was too funny eavesdropping." Draco admitted. "I actually came down here to study but your conversation kept distracting me. Anyhow, I am in."**

" **You want to help. Why?" Harry asked.**

" **Because I sort of need Granger's help with something." Draco said his face flushing a bit. "And yours too."**

" **Okay, what do you need, Malfoy." Harry asked.**

" **Uh, you know the Hogsmead visit coming up?" He asked his voice tight as he tried to calm down. "I sort lied to a girl and said that I had asked you two clowns to chaperon us. She wouldn't go out with me if you two aren't there."**

" **Sounds like she doesn't trust you, Draco." Harry said wearing a smug grin.**

" **Just promise me that if I help you, you two will be my chaperones."**

" **Why should we be your wingman, Draco? I mean why should we put our reputations on the line so you can go out with this girl. Who is she?"**

" **Firstly because I know of a way to get Professor Lupin to date my cousin and secondly because if you are going to by some miracle get Professor Snape to go out on a date I can be a help."**

" **How?" Harry asked suspiciously. "Why?"**

" **The Tonks thing, I heard my aunt talking to my Mom about it and they have a plan but no access. We have access but no workable plan, right?" Draco asked.**

 **Taking a deep breath, Draco continued. "Severus Snape is my godfather, remember?"**

" **So?"**

" **I know him better than you both do. At least the part that doesn't always scowl. So you will need my help to vet any potential candidates."**

" **Once again, why should we trust you?" Hermione asked. "What is to prevent you from betraying us after the Hogsmead weekend?"**

" **Are you serious?" Draco asked. "If my father were to ever hear what I am doing, I won't be able to sit for a year and that would be before my godfather got a hold of me. I heard my parents arguing once about Mom setting Snape up with one of her friends. Father said that Snape was quite capable of getting dates on his own and that it's his choice not to be in a relationship."**

 **Draco then lowered his voice and said "Besides, I really like this girl and for some reason she really trusts you two so if I betray you two, she won't go out with me."**

" **Who is the girl?" Hermione asked.**

 **Draco took out a piece of scroll and wrote down a name that had both of the other two in shock. Seeing their skeptical expressions, he said "I see her a lot this summer in Diagon Alley. We used to eat ice cream together when we would meet."**

" **If this is a joke, Malfoy. I will hex you until you really are that ferret that Barty Crouch turned you into." Harry threatened.**

" **It's no joke. I have spent the last several months trying to fix things but it is going to take forever and I really want to at least spend some time with her." Draco confessed.**

" **Fine. We will be your wingmen." Hermione agreed.**

" **What is a wingman?" Draco asked befuddled once again by the odd things that Granger would say.**

 **Hearing the chime that let them know the time, the three gathered their books and Harry was agreeing to tell him what a wingman was at a later date as they hurried off towards their respective houses.**

 **The tall dark haired man in the restricted section lifted the book he had been reading, smirked and decided that if that bloody interfering idiot Sirius Black was so bored he was planning on playing matchmaker, he was going to interfere on his own.**

 **Down in his chamber, he sat down at his desk and began making notes, letting out a quiet chuckle here and there before changing and heading to bed.**

* * *

 ****

 **Chapter Two**

 ****

 **Severus Snape woke earlier, one of the perks of being a former spy was being able to work well on very little sleep. Heading to Hogsmead, he made his early morning meeting and still had time to pick up the potion ingredients for his personal stores.**

 **Back in his office, he smirked as he found an owl already waiting for him. Taking the scroll, he sat back and tried to figure out where to get what he needed for his plan.**

 **Then it hit him, he had two miscreants coming to serve a weekend of detention for him that owed him.**

 **When the Weasley twins arrived, he smirked as he saw they were wearing old cloths clearly believing they would be doing cleaning or working on preparing potions ingredients. "Have a seat, gentlemen, we need to talk."**

 **George looked at Fred who could only shrug as they took in the strange expression on their potion's professor's face.**

" **Now, I should be making you scrub the entire potions chamber with muggle means, but instead you are going to do so with magic, then for the next six hours you two are going to be brewing a list of potions for me."**

 **Stunned, but not taking a chance that Snape would regain his senses, the duo quickly did as ordered. Once again seated, they were handed a list of ingredients with very specific instructions but no labels as to what they were.**

 **When they were finished brewing the first potions, confused as they didn't recognize most of the ingredients, they asked "Sir, what should we label this?"**

" **Potion #1. Continue on with the list, ending with number 12." Snape said watching them like a hawk to make sure they didn't 'help' themselves to a bit of the potions while he went back to his lists and charts.**

 **Once they had finished all twelve of the potions, he said "Be back down here tomorrow, we will be working on twelve more."**

 **Holding out his hand for the list, he saw the brother on the left hand it over then with a glare quickly whispered the charm to get back the copy they had tried to make.**

 **When they had left after trying to excuse their behavior, he opened the floo and requested that Lupin join him in his office when he was free. Ten minutes later, the werewolf did as requested and followed Severus to his quarters.**

" **Were you aware that Sirius Black has lost his mind?" He hissed at the sandy haired man after offering him a butter beer and taking one for himself.**

 **When Remus seemed to be about to defend Black, he said "He is apparently planning on interfering in your love life."**

 **TBC, Maybe**


	4. Harry Potter Malfoy

A/N: **Someone asked why I am posting these like this, well it is rather simple. I purchased a new laptop and am giving my old one to my eldest daughter to use. While deleting old material and transferring photos and videos, I decided that rather than having them go missing in case the muse should happen to return regarding them, I would post them like this as suggested by reader a while ago.**

 **Harry Potter Malfoy**

Chapter One

Vernon Durlsey nervously looked at the aristocratic man standing in front of him and fought the very big need to wipe his brow. Gulping as he was ordered to sit down and be quiet, he did as ordered hoping that this didn't end as badly as he expected it to.

He had been so very sure that his secret wouldn't be discovered and that he would be getting a promotion when he was invited to the Grunnings Board Room this morning, now he was hoping that he would be allowed to leave without wearing handcuffs.

"What should I do with you?" The man sneered at the common thief sitting in front of him. He wanted to send this man to meet his maker but unfortunately he didn't dare do so, not now when so many were watching him so closely. An attack on a muggle in a company that he owned would surely draw unwanted attention. "Daring to steal from me? Did you really think that you wouldn't get caught?"

"I-I have the money. I can repay you." Vernon said suddenly grateful for the windfall that had come his way with the unwanted presence of the freak. There was a very generous stipend attached to receiving that thing into the house. They had found a small felt bag in which had been gold, a large amount of gold that he had exchanged for pounds immediately.

His wife had contacted the state authorities and they were also receiving funds from the government for the unwanted brat. Thanks to the increase in his funds, he would be able to return the funds that he had removed from his client's account. It wasn't his fault that he had had to remove the money, after all if he was paid what he was worth none of this would have had to happen.

Petunia had been so wanting to go to the shore with Marge and he just couldn't accept his sister's charity this summer. Marge had been pretty clear that if they visited, they would have to pay their own way, so he had only borrowed a few thousand pounds.

Then when they had returned, the house on Privet Drive had become available and they couldn't live there with less than perfect furniture and he had needed a car that would be impressive to their new neighbors. It wasn't as if this particular account was active. The funds just sat there, doing no one any good.

"Dursley, are you listening to me?" The man demanded.

"Y-yes, yes, I am listening." Vernon lied as he stared fearfully.

"Perhaps you would like to call your wife and inform her what I requested." He was told in a tight tone. "Now, Dursley. I want your wife and the whelp you claim to have stolen from me for brought to this office immediately. I will return as soon as I have dealt with accounting."

* * *

Vernon waited until the man had left and pulled out the small recorder he had stuck in his pocket so that his wife would be able to listen later on to his receiving his promotion and desperately hit rewind to hear what he had been told.

Turning ash white under his skin as the man's words came from the tinny sounding tape recorder telling him that his excuse of needing the funds for his family, for his son meant that his whole family would face the troubles together, he reached with shaking hands for the nearby black telephone and called his wife. "Pet, I, I am afraid that something has happened here at work. I need you to come to the office."

"Vernon, what is going on?" Petunia's voice asked in a shrill tone as she heard how shaky her husband sounded.

"I, I uh, I need you to come to the office. I uh, bring the freak, but dress him in some of Dudley's good clothes and please, please for the sake of our son, pretend that you love him and that he is Dudley. It's very important dear."

"What is going on?" She repeated as she stared at the small brat asleep on the floor, the brat somehow kept getting himself out of the small room she had given him under the stairs. "Vernon, are you sure you want me to bring _him_?"

"Yes, please, Petunia. Whatever you do, don't bring Dudley. Please." Vernon said his eyes searching out the shadows worried that somehow someone would figure out his plan. If this went well, he would simply be freed from the unwanted freak that had been left on his doorstop. If it didn't, if things went terribly wrong, at worst he would know that Dudley hadn't been exposed to whatever was going on.

* * *

An hour later, Petunia grimaced as she entered Grunnings carrying her freak nephew dressed in one of Dudley's older fleece footie outfits. She didn't care what was going on, there was no way that she was putting him in one of Dudley's newer outfits. This had been in the bin to go to the second hand shop because her sweet growing boy had outgrown it and she had no intention of allowing this unnatural thing to wear anything of her sweet boy's. Instead she had dressed him in one of the outfits she had been planning on selling to the second hand shop, choosing not the best but the one she was sure would be more difficult to sell.

Walking over to the receptionist, she haughtily asked to be taken to her husband. "Vernon Dursley, he is a senior account representative. His office is on the top floor."

The young girl behind the desk grimaced as she looked at Hands Dursley's wife. No wonder the man was so desperate to hit on every single woman in the building, clearly his wife was no more of a prize than that fat lout was. "Welcome to Grunnings, Mrs. Dursley. Your husband is in the boardroom with one of our senior board members. I was told to send you right in when you arrived."

Petunia was sent to the lift and soon arrived on the top floor. As she walked down the corridor, she could feel an odd sense of doom but keeping her head high, determined that no one would see her fear, she walked into the open double doors and greeted her husband.

Petunia saw the sick hue of Vernon's skin and turned to look at the taller man dressed in a clearly expensive suit in spite of his hippie style haircut, standing at the windows looking out it and ignoring her husband. "Hello, I am Petunia Dursley."

* * *

The man turned to stare at the woman and felt his lip curl as he took in the rather unpleasant face, the rather dowdy middle class clothes and the child who was wearing clothes that were clearly several sizes too big and in an odd contraption that looked like it was holding him hostage.

When the wife greeted her husband and then sat the child down on the table, he began to have misgivings about his plan. Clearly whatever Dursley claimed, they weren't exactly the loving parents who had stolen from him to support their child. As Dursley looked at the child, he saw a sense of deceit and a smug grin on the man's face as he told his wife why he had asked her to bring the boy.

"The boy?" He asked. "Surely as loving parents, you don't refer to your only child as the boy? What is his name?"

Ha-er, Dudley. My son's name is Dudley." Petunia answered as she began to realize that whatever punishment that her husband was facing had a connection to their child.

Hearing her stuttering response and how she seemed almost nervous as she lifted the child and held him, the man across from them also noticed that she didn't cradle the boy close as most mothers would do at a time when she was unsure of his safely. Like his wife often did during the recent troubles. With narrowed eyes as he watched the twosome, he said "Did your husband explain what is to happen here?"

"N-no, he just asked me to bring the boy-er, to come to his workplace." It was very clear that there was something going on, that this woman was not exactly lying but that she wasn't telling him the truth about the child, so he looked at the boy and then back to the two adults.

"He doesn't look much like you, Dursley. Are you sure you wife has been faithful?" He taunted the man.

"I would never cheat on Vernon." The annoying wife replied in a shrill tone. "He knows that our son is his child."

Now convinced that they were up to something, he waited until they had settled down a bit before saying. "What if I were to say that I would let your criminal behavior be buried if you were to legally hand over your son to my wife and myself? Would you do it? Your husband said he would, what do you think of that, Mrs. Dursley?"

The woman gulped but he saw in her eyes almost a sense of relief as she seemed to be struggling not to smile at him. "I would miss him off course but it is rather clear that you could afford to raise my darling child. I would never do anything that would hold him back from having the very best there is to offer."

"Who says that I would give him the best? For all you know, I might intend to lock him in the dungeons in exchange for letting your husband go." He stated wanting to see how she would react to that statement.

It was clear that she was more interested in saving her husband than in the child in her arms as she leaned into her husband and began to whisper. Hearing words like child services, authorities and keeping secrets, he sneered and walked over to the pitiful child that hadn't said a word. He frowned, and mentally went over the file he had been given on Vernon Dursley by the head of Personnel. Dursley's brat should be almost two years old, this kid barely looked over a year.

Had Dursley's wife kidnapped some random brat with the intention of passing it off as their own? Did they really think that he was that big of a fool and that they would get away with it?"

About to challenge the couple, he twisted his lips into a cold grin and demanded Petunia Dursley hand over the child to be inspected and felt a need to end her pathetic existence when she placed the boy on the table so without another word to him.

Instead she and her husband moved a bit away as he looked a little closer at the child. Black hair and green eyes that were the color of emeralds stared up at him. There was an oddly curious look in the little boy's eyes as they stared at one another.

Just when he was about to turn to speak to Dursley, the little boy smiled and he moved around a bit in the chair thing that Mrs. Dursley had placed him in. Noticing a mark on the forehead, wondering if Dursley's wife had harmed the child, he used his thumb to brush away the dark fringe of hair partially covering the mark.

As he stared in shock at the lightning bold scar, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the two loathsome individuals standing mere feet away from him. How on earth had they ended up with this child? How is it no one had any idea what was going on in...where were they again?

Looking at the company address on the stationary, he saw Little Whinging. With more questions now than when he had arrived at Grunnings that morning, the man snapped at the couple and said "It's simple. You either turn over custody of this child to me or go to prison, Dursley. I am quite certain that we could find charges to be filed against yourself, Mrs. Dursley if I asked my staff to look hard enough."

"Fine, take the brat." Vernon snarled.

"I want paperwork filed with my solicitors by the time you leave the building." The man snarled as he fought the urge to just kill the two of them. "Clear out your desk, Dursley. Your wife can go meet with Mr. Ashcroft while you move to your new office."

He had intended to fire the filthy muggle but for now, he preferred to keep an eye on the man and his wife, just in case he had further need for them.

Without so much as a second glance at the boy, the married couple exited the Board Room and went to obey his orders. Looking at the boy in astonishment, he smirked and said "I came here to deal with a thief and instead find the answer to quite a few questions. So, Harry Potter, just how on earth did the Boy Who Lived End up in the custody of those muggles?"

The boy simply yawned and the man shook his head as he walked through the small building carrying the kid in his arms. Down in the legal department, he gave the requisite orders to his team and without another word to anyone, returned to his office and using the fireplace, flooed home.

"Dear, where are you?" The man called out as he exited the study fireplace and brushed the soot off his clothes and then transfigured them into something more appropriate. Within two steps he was back to his natural state as he wiped all evidence of his trip to the rather filthy muggle world. He had a long day visiting the companies that his father had purchased over the last few years as a back guard against their being fined or losing everything if the Dark Lord lost.

His wife entered his study and blinked when she saw him carrying a small child. With a smirk of amusement and a raised eye brow, she said "Something you wish to tell me about, husband?"

"It is a long story but it answers a few questions." He said looking at the child and already making plans. "Let me introduce you to him. This young man is Harry Potter."

When he saw his wife's shock, he dryly said. "Dear, close your mouth, you are looking a bit like a Weasley right now."

"L-lucius, what have you done?" She asked as she sank onto the nearest chair and stared at the child who was curled up against her husband's shoulder but awake as he stared at everything he could see.

"A better question is what on earth has Albus Dumbledore done and how can we use this against him?" Lucius said before calling out for a house elf. When one returned, he requested milk for the boy and that someone bring the Malfoy family personal healer to the manor immediately.

 **Chapter Two**

When their healer arrived, Lucius was holding the boy trying to get him to drink the milk but the child seemed terrified and wouldn't take the offered cup. "Varius, the boy seemed fine until I offered him the milk."

Varius Anabic, pureblood healer whose family had treated the Malfoys since they arrived in Saxon Britain moved towards the small boy being held by Lucius. Noticing the scar, and realizing who the boy was, he looked at the blond who said "Treat him first, I will explain later."

Holding his wand out, Varius said "Potter, Harry, nito puer salutem."

Lucius heard his wife gasp and looked over to find she was staring in anger at the words that were coming out of the healer's wand and writing on a nearby tablet. "Cissa?"

Varius was already reaching into his medical bag and pulling out vials while Narcissa had knelt down in front of Lucius and was reaching out for the little boy even as the words ended. She stood and settled back into her chair and began cooing at Potter while Varius was staring holes into Lucius. "What did you see?"

"Who had this boy?" The healer demanded.

"Muggles. Filthy lying cheating muggles." Lucius sneered.

Varius looked at the boy and said "What do you intend to do with him?"

"Raise him. As one of our own." Narcissa replied before Lucius could even speak. She was gently patting Harry and slowly removing the rather atrocious outfit. Calling out for Dobby, she requested he bring down some of the clothes she had kept of Draco's that should fit.

Lucius was reeling at his wife wanting to raise a half blood but that ended when he saw the now undressed child. There were black and blue marks all over the child's body and when his wife removed the odd material covering his rear, he heard Varius exclaiming that he would need salve before putting a new diaper on the boy.

Lucius was standing and heading to the fireplace when his wife's voice stopped him. "No, we wait. We find out all there is to know and then we react."

"They dared, DARED harm a magical child. Them? Those things?" He demanded and when he heard the child begin to whimper, Lucius attempted to reign in his anger so as to not frighten the child.

Dobby returned and handed Narcissa the small outfit and the cloth diapers. Watching as his wife gently spread the salve on the red blistered rear end, Lucius was fuming as he listened to Varius and his wife consult with one another.

"He has been with them how long?"

Narcissa thought about it and said "I know his parents died on Halloween night last fall, but as to how long he was with those animals, I haven't any idea."

"So six months then." Varius said. "It fits with what the tests show. His malnutrition seems to have been for about half a year. He has a vitamin deficiency and from the looks of things, he hasn't eaten anything solid in that time. I would guess from the amount of water in his system that is all he has been given during this time. Maybe some broth but nothing more."

"How do I restart his appetite?" Narcissa asked with tears in her eyes as she looked at the small child in her arms. No mother, not if she loved her own child would ever be able to turn away a child who had been treated as young Harry had been.

"Soups, soft foods like thin oatmeal and pureed fruits. Nothing with too much sugar in it at first. Milk but watered down at first. From how he reacted to the offered cup, my guess is that they used food as a way to torment this child." Varius said shaking his head in disgust.

Using his wand, Varius spelled the healing potion directly into Harry's system and then began to charm away the bruising. "What do you want me to do about the scar?"

"What do you mean?" Lucius asked as he struggled to keep his voice even. Potter was an heir of an ancient and noble house when he grew up and this boy had defeated a very strong and powerful wizard before he was even two years old and yet somehow he had ended up with the worst kind of muggles out there.

"If it is treated now, it will heal and the boy will be healthy. If left untreated, whatever magic is creating the scar will undoubtedly give him headaches, problems with his eye sight and weaken his thought process as he ages. It really should have been treated when he received the injury. As it is, it will cause him a bit of pain. I would recommend letting me give him a potion to render him unconscious."

Narcissa was biting her lip as she said "He is already in so much pain, Lucius, maybe we should wait."

"I think that is why we should do it now." Varius gently explained. "He has been through so much as we saw from the tests, if we handle this now, he will heal much quicker. Narcissa, if I give him the potion, he will still feel some of the pain, but it won't be any worse than anything else going on within his system now. Later on, as he heals, it might make things more difficult."

With a reluctant nod, she asked. "What do you need me to do?"

"Place him on the sofa and I will spell the potion directly into his system." Varius said and then when Harry had fallen asleep, he frowned at how strong magic in the scar felt. "I think that both of us will have to do this, Narcissa."

Lucius stepped over to the other side of the sofa and watched as his wife and their healer muttered abditus obscurus pestis consacratus Harry Potter.

There was a release of bright light that sent all three diving for cover and then what looked like a hive of black bees came out of Harry's now bleeding scar and with shrieks that seemed to search the room before Lucius gathered the capacity to deal with them.

With a quickly muttered banishing charm, the shriek grew louder and then seemed to catch fire and burn themselves out. From where he had landed on the floor, Varius asked "What was this?"

"I have no idea. Varius, would Dumbledore have noticed that Potter's scar contained whatever that was?" Lucius asked as his wife muttered another charm.

"He would have had to. The scar would have been bleeding for hours after Harry received it. The other thing is, did you notice the white lights." He asked in a grim tone.

"The tracking and compulsion charms, yes." Lucius said as the quick quote quill sprang to work on the end table yet again. Lifting the list, he was shaking his head as he tried to figure out what the old man had been up to.

One thing he knew, he had to get to the Dursleys before Dumbledore found out that Harry Potter no longer resided with them. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was beginning to think that he had found the way to deal with the old fool.

Narcissa was checking on Harry and was happy to see that his scar had almost faded and that the bruising was now gone. "Varius, should I wake him?"

"No, let him sleep. He should wake up feeling much better, but hungry." He warned before making a copy of the notes he had created while examining the boy. "Lucius, when he wakes up, the last spell your wife did, if you two intend to keep him. You might want to use it yourself on the boy."

"What spell was it?" Lucius asked his wife when Varius had left. He had never paid much attention to healing spells but thankfully his wife was more than capable of performing them. Over the past few years, her skills had kept him alive on more than one occasion.

"It's a bonding charm." She admitted, her eyes still on the sleeping child. "Basically, it is an adoption charm, Lucius. I know I should have talked to you first, but it allowed me to use a mother's magic to heal him."

"No, you're right about what he needs." Lucius before chanting I, Lucius Abraxas ascisco per adoptiva, adoptivum Malfoy Harry Potter.

Harry's body began to glow as the spell left Lucius wand and enveloped both of the Malfoys. The glow slowly dimmed and the couple looked at each other. Lucius hugged his wife and then leaned down to pick up the small child. "My father would be hexing me if he was here for this."

"Your son will be happy." Narcissa said with a chuckle when she saw Lucius wincing and then groaning.

Draco had asked for a baby brother after the Malfoys had visited another pureblood family while in France over the holidays that had multiple children. When his father had tried to explain that babies didn't just appear, Draco had looked at him and demanded "Brother, now."

Looking at Harry Potter, no, now Harry Potter Malfoy, Lucius said "I don't suppose Harry was born before Draco? That at least, Draco will be the younger brother?"

"No, I do believe that Potter's wife gave birth a month and a half after I did." She answered serenely. "So Draco will still be the oldest."

"Our son is a spoiled little bugger." Lucius said as they carried the toddler to the upper floor. Entering the nursery, Lucius said that the family magic had brought the Malfoy spare cradle down from the attic. Placing Harry in the cradle and covering up the small boy, he looked around the room and then conjured up a small stuffed lion to place next to him before checking on Draco in the other cradle.

Covering his restless son, he went back to where is wife was standing watching him and said "I have something to do tonight."

Stopping him as he left, Narcissa pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and whispered "Be careful, Lucius. Don't take any chances. If you kill them, we won't be able to keep Harry."

"What they did to him, it can't go unpunished." He stated as he sneered at the thought of the muggles who had thought they were getting away with their plans. "I am also going to do a bit of eavesdropping around our world, find out what people are speaking about."

When Lucius had left, Narcissa looked at the two sleeping boys and then called for Dobby. "Wake me up the instant one of the boys needs anything, Dobby."

Leaving them to sleep, she went to the master bedroom and prepared for bed. It was almost two in the morning when she felt Lucius joining her. "Lucius?"

"In the morning, Narcissa." He said pressing a kiss to her forehead before pulling her close and drifting off to sleep.

 **Chapter Three**

The house elf popped into the office of the Headmaster of Hogwarts to see that the various instruments that were normally spinning on the shelf had stopped and shattered. With a snap of his fingers, they repaired themselves and he watched as they began to move once more.

Shaking his head at the clutter the Hogwarts headmaster kept, he had no idea what his innocent gesture would do. He had no idea that the instruments were meant to monitor someone as he put a perpetual movement charm on them as he left the tower office.

When Albus returned from his day and now night long meeting at the Ministry which had replaced now former Minister Bagnold with new Minister Fudge, his eyes went automatically to the monitoring devises. He had felt a strange shift while attending the meeting at the Wizengamot and he had been worried but clearly there was nothing wrong or his monitoring devices would have warned him.

Feeling happy with himself at the knowledge that Arabella Figg was moving to Little Whinging later that week, he went to bed, positive that all was right with the world.

* * *

Early the next morning, Narcissa was feeding an awake Harry when Draco sat up in his cradle and wiped the sleep from his eyes. The blond boy's eyes began to focus and when he saw the other boy, he began to giggle and clap. "Brother. Mine."

Looking at her almost two year old son, Narcissa wasn't sure how he would actually react to Harry so she asked Dobby to place Draco into his baby seat. The blond boy was given all of his favorite breakfast foods but he ignored the waffles in favor of announcing "Brother, Mine."

When he had repeated it for the tenth time and she found herself trying to get him to at least drink something, Lucius entered the nursery. "Draco, drink your milk."

The little boy lifted his baby safe glass and obeyed his father but his eyes never left the smaller child. When he was finished he showed it to his daddy and said "Brother?"

"Yes, Draco. You have a brother." Lucius said shaking his head when his son struggled to escape from his small chair. Letting him down, he watched as Draco staggered over to his mother and the small boy. Watching as Draco patted Harry's arm and kept saying Brother, he looked at his wife. "Now what?"

Seeing that Harry had finished his small bowl of oatmeal, Narcissa handed him the small cup. When he only looked at it and then seemed to be confused, she asked Lucius to pull over another chair and to lift Draco to his lap.

Draco wiggled away from his father, determined to stay with his new brother. Finally, Lucius placed Harry on one side and had Narcissa lift Draco to his other arm. While she had the house elf refill Draco's glass, she tried once again to get Harry to take his safety cup.

To her surprise, Draco pulled at it. "No, Draco, this is Harry's."

"No, brother." He said scowling at his mom and holding onto the small green cup. The small boy shoved it at Harry and said "Brother."

Harry took the cup from Draco and just held it. When the house elf returned and had given the young blond his own cup, Lucius watched in amazement as Harry's eyes followed Draco's every moment as he drank from his own cup. When Draco 'helped' Harry, the dark haired boy hesitated and then began to drink from his cup.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Narcissa said "I was hoping that would work."

"Has Harry said anything?" Lucius asked as the two boys sat on his lap drinking their milk, Harry's thinned until he could digest the stuff.

"No, but when I arrived in the nursery, he had the lion you placed in his cradle floating in the air. He cried out when he saw me and let it drop." she said.

"Not a surprise after what I saw in those poor excuse for a muggle's head." Lucius replied trying to keep an even tone so as to not scare the boys. "I did see him walking in their memories when he first arrived. They punished him for it, so he just might need some help remembering how to do it."

On his lap, Draco was staring fascinated by his new brother. When they had both finished their milk, he reached for his waffle and tried to hand part of it to Harry.

"Should we stop this?" Narcissa asked but Lucius quickly told her to let it be. "But Varius..."

"Those animals would use food to torment him, Cissa. I would rather clean up if he becomes sick than have him feel that he isn't allowed to eat." He said, his eyes unable to meet hers. He had seen things, had participated in things that he knew were wrong but had done then in the belief that he was protecting a traditional way of life.

Those muggles had done what they had to Harry had been done so out of greed, and spite. That female muggle's mind was full of anger and hatred for a small boy out of jealousy of her sister. The reason for that had given him an idea about how to deal with her but he would need time to work out the details before telling his wife.

Narcissa knew her husband and demanded "What did they do to him, Lucius? I suggest you start talking."

"I will when the boys are settled down. I don't want them to even be in the room when I tell you." Lucius replied as he watched the two boys. When Draco once again called Harry brother, he smiled at them and said "Draco, his name is Harry."

"H-harry?" Draco asked looking at the little boy who barely seemed to acknowledge the name.

"Yes, your new brother is named Harry." Lucius replied thinking on how young Harry would need to be acclimated back into answering to Harry after six months of being referred to as freak.

Draco didn't seem to be too sure on that but he looked at the smaller child and pointed at himself and said "I's Draco. You, Harry."

Harry didn't reply, he just kept a close eye on the other boy watching as Draco wiggled down and staggered to his toy box. Lucius watched the way the dark haired boy didn't even react to the toys at first until Draco came back and handed Harry a carved unicorn. "Plays."

Harry seemed to be looking at Lucius, so he shrugged and then sat down with the two boys, trying to encourage Harry to join in the playing. It took several minutes before Harry tentatively reached out for a toy. When no one shouted at him, he looked over at Draco only to be handed yet another toy.

Lucius very slowly moved to sit on the chair watching Harry's eyes which were watching him. When he didn't protest Harry's playing, the boy suddenly smiled and looked over at Draco and crawled closer. Feeling a sense of relief, Lucius quietly told his wife "I need your help. I have a plan to deal with the Dursleys. You won't like part of it, but after what I saw, I don't think you will object too strenuously."

When the boys were placed down for an early afternoon nap, Lucius ordered Dobby and a second house elf to watch over the boys before escorting his wife to the study on the ground floor.

Pouring both of them glasses of wine, he said "You will need this."

Narcissa took the goblet and said "How bad?"

"First of all, they woke up to find Potter on their stoop in a basket. He had a note with a large sum of galleons. The note assured them that more money would come monthly as long as they took in Lily's son. Harry woke up screaming, from the blood that began dripping out of his scar. Narcissa that fat bastard put that boy in a sort of muggle broom closet. Someplace not even fit for a house elf."

Lucius regained control and told her about the last six months. The lavish Christmas they had bestowed on their own child, the once a day diaper changes and bottles with water in them. How Harry spent all of his time in the cupboard. "That thing fed him a bowl of broth a week. That's all."

"He is dressed in clothes that she didn't consider suitable to sell after her own brat wore them out, she gets diapers, these strange disposable muggle ones that are thrown out afterwards from a charity group. They are cheap and she knows that he is allergic to them." Lucius spat out. "She also stole Harry's and his mother's inheritance from their muggle relatives. Dursley was celebrating by taking her out to dinner when I showed up. They were sure that they had deceived me and had gotten rid of and I am quoting now, the unwanted freak of a child who should have been drowned at birth."

With hands clench as he fought the urge to return and hex the muggles to oblivion, he said "Every month they have gotten money from the muggle authorities for Harry being an orphan. It's about four hundred pounds which equals out to about a hundred galleons and the Potter estate is sending them another two hundred galleons each month. They were discussing how to continue getting that money as long as possible."

"How did you handle things?" She asked a bit worried. Lucius had barely escaped prison, the last thing that he needed was to be found to be muggle baiting.

A cold smile came to his face as he replied. "I didn't fire him earlier but he will no longer have access to company funds though or any kind of authority. Oh, and the funds are now going to a bank account for Harry to access when he is older. I would be willing to bet that his own estate somehow is held up until he is seventeen in spite of his being the last Potter heir."

Drinking some of his wine, he said "There were some wards around the house, so I couldn't get too close to see if it is working, but the neighbors when they see the other child, will see him as he really is unless they have magic. If they are magical, they will think they are seeing the boy who lived."

"Why?" She asked.

"When I did some looking into things last night. I saw that werewolf who had been friends with Potter at the Hogs Head. He was talking to Kingsley Shacklebolt so I stayed out of their way but I did get an earful. Lupin was telling Shacklebolt about how the Headmaster won't let him see his honorary godson and why. It seems McGonagall tried to rescue the boy with Lupin's help. Dumbledore removed the location from her memory. Lupin believes that there are blood wards on the property. It's why he isn't fighting this harder. "

"What do you mean, believes?" She asked.

"I see you caught that. I mean that there are no blood wards on that house, at least none that I could see. I also found out from a visit to the Three Broomsticks that Minerva McGonagall was not happy with the Headmaster for leaving Potter with those people but like I said, she no longer remembers the address. I heard that oaf of a groundskeeper and her arguing. She called them the worst kind of muggles. The oaf however worships at the alter of Dumbledore the all powerful and was angry with her for even thinking that the man could be wrong."

"I also went to the Leaky Cauldron." Lucius said. "Spoke to a contact of mine. Black never received a trial."

"Sirius?" She asked frowning. "Even Bellatrix got a trial."

"Yes, my contact also said that his law firm handed the Potter will and it is very specific about custody of Harry. Black, followed by the Longbottoms and Lupin was to gain custody in the muggle world BUT UNDER no circumstances was Harry to be placed with his muggle aunt. The law firm had a visit from Dumbledore and all copies of the will and the other legal papers belonging to the Potter family were placed under ministry seal." Lucius replied not adding that there had been a loophole that he intended to use to bite the old man with in several years.

"What is that old man up to?" Narcissa asked wearing a scowl.

"I don't know, but the solicitors sent me a copy of the legal papers that now give us legal custody of Harry Potter in the muggle world. I am going to do some research and see what the ministry has listed in the magical world." Lucius said.

"How do we keep it from those in our world that we have custody of the boy who lived?" She asked.

Lucius said "As long as the ruse at the Dursleys works, we will be safe. I was considering having Harry become a blood relative for when there are challenges from Dumbledore but when I did some research I found that you actually have as much of legal right to Harry as others in our world. Unless your cousin is freed, there is no one else with closer legal ties."

"Andromeda." She replied with a grimace. "She believes in Dumbledore and with that muggle husband of hers, she might be considered closer."

"She has her hands full and from what I have seen, she tried to gain custody but Dumbledore refused to hand the boy over. Dumbledore is over extending himself into matters that he has no rights to." Lucius said.

"What is your plan, Lucius?" She asked as she prepared to return to her sons.

"I am going to slowly peal away and expose the Headmaster's manipulations but first I need to see if I could figure out what he is up to. That might take a few years." Lucius replied. "I have avoided Severus since I was freed, but I am going to have to cultivate his friendship again."

Stopping in her tracks, she turned stopped her husband as well and asked "I thought you felt he betrayed the cause?"

"Severus was in love with Lily Potter. Whatever he did, he did for her. I don't intend to tell him right away that I have Harry living with us, that we adopted him. I am going to work on his friendship and gradually feel him out on his feelings for the boy." Lucius replied his mind also going to his second reason for working on his former friendship.

Lucius and she walked up to the first floor nursery to check on the boys even as Lucius told her how he planned on finding out the Potter family secrets. "I am going to start with the muggle side. Lily Potter nee Evans. I need to find out her secrets. I am also removing Harry's inheritance from his former relatives."

"Be careful, I am sure that Dumbledore has someone watching the boy." Narcissa stated as they entered the nursery. She felt her heart melt when they saw the two boys had awoken and that they were playing together and giggling.

Lucius smiled as he saw biological son's acceptance of his new brother and breathed a sigh of relief even as he went to see how Fudge's appointment to the position of Minister had went. He had been cultivating the inane little popinjay since hearing rumors of his possible promotion.

Leaving Narcissa at the manor with the boys, Lucius left Wiltshire and apparated to the entrance of the Ministry. Spending some time with Fudge and doing a little gentle prodding before wishing the man well and offering his 'help' in the future.

Exiting the Ministry, he was heading to Diagon Alley for a meeting with his lawyers. Soon seated across from Ogden, he made arrangements for the man to head into the muggle side of the world and research Lily Rose Potter, nee Evans. "I want everything on her from the day she died back to the day she received her Hogwarts letter, all the way back to her ancestry as far as you can find."

"I will have to hire a muggle detective." The man pointed out.

"Do so, while you have them looking into her, I want a list of all homes purchased within say two miles of 4 Privet Lane, Little Whinging since the Dursley family bought theirs." Lucius said. "Look for anything odd like a connection to the magical world."

Lucius stood and then looking at the solicitor told him "You were correct on what was going on with regards to my holdings. I will be taking a personal interest in them from here on out. I would also like a more detailed report on my family's magical holdings."

Lucius left and returned home. Over the next month, he and his growing family stayed within the wards of the Malfoy family manor. Lucius and Narcissa worked hard to make Harry feel safer and more part of the family but while he was less tense, he seemed to be still wary of his interactions with them. Harry's relationship with Draco however had just seemed to happen naturally. The two boys had just taken to one another. Draco was rather possessive of his brother but he also was protective to their amusement.

They spoke to one another and seemed to have developed their own language. As Harry's body began to recover from the neglect and abuse, his magic seemed to expand to their surprise.

Varius had returned to check on his young patient and had asked if they wanted to bind part of Harry's power again. With a sheepish look he said "We removed all of the magic so quickly, I missed the notation that it was his father, James who had bound part of his power."

"Why would Potter do that?" Narcissa asked. Potter was a pureblood, surely he wouldn't have bound his only child's power.

"From the numbers I extrapolated, that young boy's power level right now, it's just under yours." He told Narcissa.

"Surely your Arithmancy is incorrect. Either that or you just insulted my wife." Lucius said as he looked through narrowed eyes at the healer who simply pointed his wand at Harry and muttered the correct charm.

Lucius gaped at the number that appeared over the boy's head. "My god, no wonder Dumbledore was so eager to get a hold of the boy."

Narcissa smile as Harry saw the lights and giggled before changing the colors with his own magic. "Leave it be, we will train him, Varius. There is no way that we would ever bind a child's magic."

"He will be a very powerful wizard someday." Varius pointed out. "With the Potter name and your backing, he will be unstoppable."

"Yes he will." Lucius said rather happy about that fact. He had made many, many mistakes over the last few years, but this time, he had done the right thing and for the right reasons. Tomorrow he had a meeting with the muggle private investigator and his solicitor regarding Lily Potter nee Evans, after that he intended to have lunch with Severus Snape to feel out where the other man stood on various things but for now, he was just going to enjoy spending time with his family.

Arriving at the office of his attorney, Lucius found the two men waiting for him in a conference room. Seated across from them, he asked "What did you find out?"

"Thomas, let's begin with Lily Evans Potter." The attorney said. "Lucius, Thomas is the son of Algernon Crouch."

Thomas nodded and said "My mother fled to the muggle world during the war with Grindelwald and while she trained me as a wizard herself, she insisted on living in the muggle world. My clients are from both worlds, which is why your attorney brought me in on this case.

"The young woman, Lily Evans on the surface is a muggleborn witch but when I looked into her ancestors, I found squibs on both sides from about the turn of the last century. Both lines died out so her son might have a small inheritance from them. Here are their particulars for the goblins." Thomas passed the file to Lucius and then continued.

"Her father worked as an accountant for a mill in Spinner's End. The family was strictly middle class as a result of expending huge sums to care for their eldest daughter who had well documented mental issues. They had adopted young Petunia when they had believed they couldn't have biological children. As is often the case, not long afterwards, they had young Lily."

"So this Petunia isn't blood related to Lily?" He asked wanting verification.

"Correct. I did a legal search of the family and other than repeated incidents of young Petunia spending time in locked mental health facilities, there was only one other notation regarding legal inquiries. It seems when their daughter Lily was ten, they tried to gain custody of a young friend of hers. A boy named Severus Snape whose home life according to the authorities was less than ideal. Somehow in spite of there being a large amount of evidence of abuse and neglect, the boy's biological parents, Tobias and Eileen retained legal custody."

Lucius hid his surprise at that news, he had had no idea that anyone had ever tried to help Snape and he was rather sure that the other wizard had had no idea either.

"Now, the girl and the Snape boy went on to attend Hogwarts, but the sister spent time in and out of facilities, each time leaving before she should against doctor's orders. Eventually she eloped and married a rather unpleasant muggle named Vernon Dursley who had no idea of his wife's secret." Thomas said sliding over a file on the Dursleys. "They had a son two years ago, a rather plump child named Dudley."

Nodding, Lucius let him continue. "The parents died about ten months ago and the law firm that held their wills began a search for this sister Lily. Petunia claimed no knowledge of where her sister was. The courts assigned an executor who had for two months kept Petunia away from the modest estate, which changed just after Halloween of last year."

"He suddenly changed his mind and turned the entire estate over to Petunia and moved to Aruba. I went to his office and there was a magical signature all over the boarded up  
office. I would guess that someone from our world helped Ms. Dursley obtain the estate."

"I am not surprised." Lucius said.

"This might surprise you. Around Valentine's Day, Petunia legally signed the estate over to its legal heir, one Harry James Potter in the muggle world, Hadrianus Orion Potter in the magical world." Thomas said. "She also signed off turning over legal custody of him to an unknown person or persons. Due to a peculiarity in the boy's records, whoever has custody of him in one world is responsible for him in the other. Which is why it is rather curious that this boy ever landed in the muggle world. The family magic on the file of who has physical custody is too strong for me to find any answers."

"It's fine. I know what happened at that point. Now what is in that last folder?" Lucius inquired.

"Now this is the interesting part." Sliding the folder over to Lucius, he said "It's a folder of blank pieces of paper. At least it seems that way. There is a very powerful charm on them. I would guess that only her son would be able to open them."

Paying the man, Lucius waited until the investigator left before asking the solicitor what else he had for him. "A Ms Arabella Figg, a documented squib is living two streets over from the Dursleys. She sends an owl to the Headmaster like clockwork every single Saturday morning. Now in spite of seeing how rather cold and unpleasant the Dursleys are to the boy under their roof, she claims that everything is just fine and that young Harry is loved and cherished."

When he saw Lucius tense up, the lawyer said "She knows the truth, it seems like the letters are a pre-arranged signal between the Headmaster and herself. She is there as his shill nothing more."

"Why would she lie?" He asked. "Why would they want false notes regarding the treatment of the boy?"

"I don't know." The older man answered. Ogden had done a lot of research and he had a lot of questions regarding what Albus Dumbledore was up to. "I do know that the Goblins are releasing a thousand galleons a month for the care of the boy and yet…"

"The Dursleys were getting much, much less." Lucius finished the statement. "Would it be possible to find out where the money is going?"

"I have a contact. The Potter family has a goblin who deals only with their accounts. He paid me a visit when their records showed young Harry being adopted by yourself. They asked if we wanted the embezzlement shut down. All they could tell me was that the money was being transferred to the family vault of someone else. If I can go to them with the correct name, then they can verify it but without that name, all we can do is stop the funds. Not request a return of what has already been spent." Ogden stated.

Lucius took the bank statements offered and felt his eyes go wide. His own family was among the wealthiest in the magical and muggle worlds, due to the cunning and ambitions of his forefathers, but clearly the Potters in spite of long being Gryffindors they had their own financial strength. "No wonder someone is trying to control this."

"Oh, they apparently tried but the Goblins shut down access to all but the trust vault. Statements were being sent but even that is now being shut down. Gravet is most pleased to have young Harry out of the dangerous circumstances he had been placed in." Ogden said.

Seeing Lucius looking up at him, Ogden said "They have also requested permission to send one Remus J Lupin his inheritance from the Potter estate."

"Please sent the correct letter in agreement of doing so. I would also like to include a small letter to inform him that the boy is doing fine." Lucius said. Writing out the note using some blank stationary provided by his attorney, Lucius watched as the man removed his magical signature from it and then attached it to an owl.

Lucius sent the folders he had just been given home to his study and went to Hogsmead and joined his former companion at a table in the Three Broomsticks. There was an awkwardness to the situation as it was the spring Hogsmead visit for the Hogwarts students.

"Lucius." Snape said standing and shaking his hand. Neither man showed their cards as they politely greeted one another and Lucius answered Snape's question about his godson.

"Draco is doing fine, growing up fast. We adopted another child, one who lost his parents in the war. Both boys are keeping Narcissa, myself and the house elves busy." Lucius replied.

"Adoption?" Snape asked. It was rare in the magical world for a parent to acknowledge adopting a child. If anything, a child might have been snatched and blood adopted if there was no other choice but an open adoption was rare.

"He has, had parents who loved him. We wouldn't want to take that part of his heritage away from him." Lucius answered. Changing the subject, he asked how his friend was enjoying being a teacher at Hogwarts instead of a student.

"It's different." Was the quick answer. Severus saw Minerva McGonagall staring at him and his lunch companion with narrowed eyes and thin lips pressed tightly together and found it difficult to sit still.

"I would imagine so." Lucius replied. One of the bar keeps brought over two plates of the daily special and two butter beers before returning to the bar. The two men ate lunch, only speaking sporadically about the weather, the Easter Holidays, and even the new Minister or Magic.

Finished with their meal, they paid and were on their way out when their former transfiguration professor stopped them and requested, no more like ordered them to join her and the others.

Lucius was polite, well aware of his secret and determined to begin making inroads with those around the Headmaster for when Draco and Harry attended Hogwarts. "Professors."

Kettleburn nodded grimly but Flitwick greeted Lucius by asking how his wife was doing. Narcissa had done very well in his class and the half goblin always kept up on his better students.

"She is doing well, sir. She has her hands full with our two sons." Lucius answered as easily as he could. "We adopted the child of an old acquaintance of ours after his parent's died. Poor child had no one."

Seeing McGonagall's surprise at his rather casual announcement, he added "We intend a more proper and formal announcement when he is older but for now, he and we are adjusting. Draco on the other hand, is rather happy to have a playmate."

"It's a shame how many war orphans there out there. Even young Harry Potter was left without anyone." Kettleburn said with deliberate intent to stir up trouble. He had never liked Potter or his friends but he had adored young Lily Evans.

"I heard he was living with family. I am sure that he is well taken care of, who would do everything in their power to protect that boy." Lucius said as mildly as he could. He saw McGonagall glare off into the distance and decided that after pulling Snape to his side, up next would be to try to expose the Headmaster's double dealing to this woman. She did not look happy.

"Potter is probably being spoiled rotten as we speak with a room filled with an excess of toys and cuddled beyond belief." Snape sneered.

"I am quite certain you are correct." Lucius mildly replied. He was more than certain, he was absolutely sure. Narcissa had gone shopping and had been thrilled to make sure that both boys had everything they needed.

Walking with Severus back to the gates of Hogwarts, he tried to find a way to make things easier when Snape stopped him. "What are you really up to, Lucius? We both know that our friendship has pretty much fallen to the wayside, my being Draco's godfather or not."

Lucius thought about Narcissa's recent suggestion and looking around decided that maybe it was for the best, at least until they were sure that no one could take their second child away from them and said "We are thinking on spending a few years in France. I just wanted to reconnect before I left. I didn't like how much distance has grown between us."

Lucius looked at the twenty-two year old in front of him and realized that his words were sincere, he did miss his once close friendship with the sarcastic, aloof and incredible intelligent wizard standing in front of him. With a quick nod, he reached out and grasped Snape's left arm and said "I don't want to lose the companionship of one of the few men in this world I actually respect and can stand to spend time with."

Snape saw the sincerity and felt something within him relax. "Send an owl when you can. You, and Narcissa will be missed."

Lucius returned home and spoke to his wife. She shook her head at how much needed to be done for them to head to the French ancestral home of the Malfoys and how little time he thought was needed.

"Well have the house elves help." He said.

"My estimate is with them helping, Lucius." She said slightly exasperated with the man. "Go deal with what you need to do, at least with you out from underfoot, it will go faster."

Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to her lips, whispered that he had faith in her, then popped out of the manor just avoiding the small slap she had intended to give him on his arm.

Checking in with Ogden and making arrangements for them to be able to communicate with the use of floo and specialized in and out boxes, Lucius returned home to find his faith in his wife proven.

"I sent the elves ahead." She stated handing him Draco who was wearing a travel suit while she held Harry wearing the same but who was trying to remove his hat. Holding onto the family portkey, they exited the manor, with no intention of returning until it was time for the boys to attend Hogwarts.

 **Chapter Five**

Minerva McGonagall was back at Hogwarts that evening and found herself questioning the Headmaster about the boy. He assured her that he kept a close eye on young Harry and that his operative who lived nearby reported that the Dursleys were treating Harry Potter like he was their own son.

She reluctantly went to her personnel quarters, wishing she dared believe the man. Yes, she trusted Albus Dumbledore, but he like Arabella Figg had grown up generations apart from the current style of raising children. She found herself wishing more than believing that it was the truth about Harry's supposed well-being.

She vowed to keep searching, determined to see for herself that Lily and James' son was the happy healthy boy his parents had dreamed him of growing up to be.

Down in the dungeons, Severus Snape was staring in a brooding manner at the glass of fire whiskey on his coffee table. He worried about consuming it, fearful of being reminded of his father, but the day had been one that had brought up dark memories all around.

First he had had to rescue a young Slytherin from three bullying fourth year Gryffindors, reminding him of his terrible times of being bullied by the so called Marauders during his own attendance at Hogwarts.

After that had been lunch with Lucius. He had once been rather close to Lucius, the older boy protecting him during the three years that they had attended Hogwarts together. That had all ended when Lucius had graduated.

A few years later, when he had been sixteen, he had followed Lucius to a meeting with someone that the blond had considered a great man. That meeting had led to being flattered by an older and more cunning former Slytherin. Snape had been a fool and he felt himself dying inside a little each time he had been called to his new master's side.

He had seen Malfoy's disillusionment with the man they would call the Dark Lord but had also seen that the blond had stayed, partially because he truly did believe he was better than muggles and partly out of fear for his young family. Lucius and his wife Narcissa had asked a shocked Severus to be Draco's godfather that spring.

He had agreed, surprised to be honored with such an important position, but now, looking back he could see that Lucius had known of his doubts and he had come to realize that the position had been to find a way to protect Draco from his father and grandfather's own bad choices.

The distance between them might be repaired, but Severus had very few illusions left. He knew that if the Dark Lord returned like the Headmaster believed, he would once again willingly play spy, after all he had made a vow to protect Lily's son.

Severus knew that Lucius would do whatever it took to protect his own, and he also knew that the Malfoy's vast wealth would be a very large attraction for the Dark Lord should he return, so they were sure to be on opposite sides of any future conflict.

Sipping some of the fire whiskey he had poured, he found himself thinking about the mention of Lily and James, as well as their offspring. The very boy whose existence hurt him deeply because he was a living reminder that Lily had loved James not him and yet, the boy whose existence was meant that a part of Lily lived on which gratified him in ways he couldn't explain even to himself.

Wiping the tear dripping from the corner of his eye, Severus went to bed, determined to put all sorrow into the locked box in the back of his well organized mind and forget it existed.

Early the next morning, he arrived at the teacher's table for breakfast in time to hear Minerva McGonagall twitting the Headmaster about Harry's well-being. When the man smugly handed over a letter he had received by own just that morning, he watched as Minerva read it out loud.

"Albus, here is a report of young Potter's week." As she read of play dates and time spent at the park, Severus was able to distance himself from his fears regarding Petunia. Clearly she was past her former problems and had embraced Lily's son as her own.

Over the next several years, Snape would get weekly letters from Lucius on Saturday morning, he would read them, chuckle at the description of the older man's happy family life. A tale of a happily married couple raising two very active and happy little boys. Draco and Leo or as Lucius described them, Dragon and Lion. A tale of trips around the world, of to his amazement stories of travels into the muggle world.

And to his amusement, tales about young boys innocently playing with magic when behind protected wards, that often had him laughing in spite of himself. He often shared the tales during monthly dinners with Minerva with who he had been able to get past seeing her as a former teacher and now saw as a friend.

They would chuckle at tales of Lucius Malfoy's world famous peacocks rampaging through the various manor houses, tales of stuffed animals coming to life (well of a sorts) and the ones that amused Minerva the most, the tale of how the boys accidentally transfigured Leo's new hat with a picture of a lion on it into a stuffed lion. She had pointed out to Severus that it sounded like there was a very good chance that the youngest Malfoy would end up a Gryffindor. He had been appalled at the thought, having often been thrilled at the idea of having the two natural fliers, at least according to their proud mother someday on his Slytherin Quidditch team.

She would share what she heard from Albus about young Harry and admit her aching wish that she had been allowed to stay in touch with young Harry's relatives. Albus had refused to allow photos of the boy to be sent and the only way anyone knew anything about what young Harry looked like were the horrid little books about the adventures of the boy who lived.

A description that claimed he had messy black hair, wore glasses and had a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. A tale that made young Harry sound like he looked just like his father. Too bad no one knew the truth, as around the magical world, they began to rely more on fiction action adventures for news of the boy than the actual truth.

Time passed, a certain werewolf in spite of receiving his inheritance from the Potter's refused to touch it, feeling unworthy as he suffered from depression at the loss of his pack and of the child he had loved so deeply.

An animagus in Akzaban listened as those around him slowly began to lose their minds, he was holding onto his only by the knowledge he was an innocent man who had hope that someday, someone would realize the truth.

A rat however had found a new family. He lived with a rather straight laced young boy, and his very large and loud family. He felt safe for the first time in a long time as he began to forget he was once human and that he had betrayed those who had trust him.

As for the man in charge, he put the young boy he had sentenced to years of living with a woman he knew hated magic, out of his mind, thinking that the boy was doing just fine in spite of his own fears. Sure in his righteousness, aware that the boy would one day have to sacrifice himself for the greater good, he found that he didn't feel guilt as long as he didn't think of the boy.

Still, like all good planners, he knew he had to begin to prepare for the day when the boy who lived would have to return to the magical world. The problem was that no one was doing things as he needed them done. The goblins in spite of it having been several years had refused to release the needed vaults and approvals, the Wizengamot and the Ministry were doing as expected, but he was finding that time flew as he grew older and he never noticed just how very little he thought of the boy who lived...

 _ **Eight years later...**_

Lucius Malfoy ordered the house elves to prepare the manor for the arrival of his family. Narcissa and the boys were arriving in two day and he had traveled ahead to order the house elves to prepare their home for their arrival and to visit with his solicitors and to begin the lengthy process he had set out all those years ago for this moment.

He had people he needed to visit, to ensure the safety of his family. Others he needed to make amends to and still others he had to remind just who he was and how ruthless he could be.

In exactly 384 days his two sons would be heading to Hogwarts and he had a lot to accomplish in preparation for that. After giving orders to Dobby and the rest of the house elves, Lucius debated where to start. He knew Severus and Minerva McGonagall, who he rather urgently needed to speak with would be at Hogwarts but he was concerned what they would do with the information he needed to tell him.

Still, after what they had learned this past week, it couldn't be put off any longer. So with a deep breath, Lucius apparated to the gates of Hogwarts and walked up to the castle. Entering the front doors, he saw his former charms professor descending the stairs.

"Mr. Malfoy." Flitwick approached him and seemed a bit surprised when Lucius held out his hand in greeting. Shaking the younger wizards hand, he asked "Were you expected today?"

"Unfortunately not. I had a small problem that I need to speak to Professor McGonagall about." He replied. "I was intending on sending an owl but since I had to make a trip to Hogsmead today, I thought I would see if she was available this morning."

"You're in luck." Flitwick announced. "She just finished a short meeting with her fellow heads of houses. If you will follow me."

Lucius did just that and to his pleasure, he saw McGonagall was speaking to Severus as they joined them in the Great Hall.

"Lucius." Severus walked over and greeted his old friend and current pen pal. "Welcome."

"Hello, Severus. Professor McGonagall. Might I have a minute with the two of you at some point this afternoon." He asked dismissing the good natured Flitwick in spite of knowing that at some point he would need the half-goblin's help but this wasn't anything he wanted getting out.

"If you have the time right now, I am free. What about you, Severus?" Minerva asked her lips twitching as she thought about the letter Severus had shared with her recently in which the blond man had described his two sons accidentally turning his hair orange.

"I have only some basic brewing for the infirmary to finish this week." Severus said.

"Then is there somewhere we may speak privately?" Lucius asked as he saw Flitwick going to greet the entering professor. The three of them exited the Great Hall and were soon ensconced in Severus' dungeon quarters. Standing at the charmed window, looking out on the Black lake, he was reminded of his time as a student while Severus requested tea from the house elves.

Once seated, Lucius asked Minerva if she was aware that he had two sons.

"Yes, I uh, have shared their rather amusing adventures with Minerva over the years." Severus replied hiding his own amusement and not really succeeding.

Lucius felt a sense of relief at that but it didn't help with the rest of his problem. "Both boys have strong magical cores, Leo's however, is much, much stronger than Draco's. Oddly enough, it hasn't been an issue between the two of them, more like they tend to think of it as a way to get into even more mischief."

"It sounds like they are going to be a handful next year." Minerva said.

Shaking his head, Lucius replied. "They are both remarkably polite, I give all the credit for that to Narcissa and Leo's own good judgment. He tends to pull Draco back when he flies to close to the edge. They also don't pick on others, their jokes are more likely to be against each other or myself."

Severus could see that Lucius seemed to be avoiding something so he settled in, knowing eventually the other man would get to the point.

"While we haven't been teaching them to use a wand, both boys are rather adept at certain types of natural magic. Narcissa and I decided a few years ago that they needed a well rounded education and in that mindset, we arranged for an American muggleborn witch to begin teaching them at age five about history, maths, languages and the muggle world."

Severus saw Minerva's surprise at that information and felt his own eyebrows rise at the rather easy way one of the leaders of the pureblood movement discussed the muggle world.

"Gennith traveled with us as we showed the boys the world. She planned to stay with us until the boys were ready to attend Hogwarts but early this spring, her granddaughter died will giving birth and she felt it was important to go and help her great grandchild." Lucius explained. "Leaving Narcissa and I to pick up on their education. We worked with them on their primary education and started to teach them a few simple charms, using our wands."

Minerva nodded, that was typical of most pureblood families.

Lucius proudly announced "Both boys are fluent in French, Italian, Latin, Russian and even know a bit of Gobbley-gook. They tested out of the muggle primary school curriculum and were in the top one percent of the students. They have taken so well to the simple charms that I showed them, that Narcissa has been showing them some potions. Nothing dangerous, just teaching them the importance of why you dice instead of slice and why you crush certain compounds. The problem is that both boys tend to be rather impatient."

"Young boys generally are. I seem to recall a certain first year who had all the spells taught that year under his belt by the time he arrived at Hogwarts, Mr. Malfoy." She said.

Sighing, Lucius shook his head and wincing admitted "They found an advanced transfiguration text book in my old school trunk in the attic when we were home for a week this past winter. I had no idea what they were up to until last night."

"I can't imagine that they could do too much damage with that." Minerva said. "Surely those spells would be beyond their collective ability."

"Unfortunately, Leo has a natural gift for transfiguration. Narcissa thinks that he might be a metamorphasoses. It runs in her family so she has more experience with it than I do." Lucius stated looking at Minerva McGonagall. "The problem is that the boys found a spell that they thought might be cool. That is an exact quote, I am afraid."

"What spell was it?" She asked still trying to think of an advanced spell that two young boys even with if one of them was a metamorphoses could do. "If it went wrong, you should take him immediately to St. Mungos."

"The problem is that it didn't go wrong." Lucius said before looking at his former teacher. "The problem is that last night as I went to check on the two of them at bedtime, Leo was turning back into his natural from that of a large gryffin."

Minerva let out a chuckle and then glared at Severus. "Aren't you a little old for these type of pranks, Severus. Just because I told you that I took pride in being the youngest animagus at age sixteen, you convinced..."

Lucius pulled the photos out of his robe and silently handed them over. Thankfully she wouldn't be able to tell that Leo was once born Harry James Potter. His son looked nothing like what most in the magical world would expect him to.

Minerva watched the tanned dark headed boy in the picture using his father's wand and changing right in the photo. Dropping them onto her table, she looked at Lucius and stuttered out "W-hat..h-how?"

"According to Leo, he just read the chapter, sat down and meditated until he saw his form and then hours later, he changed. Oh, his plan now, after I allow him to have his books back, is to work on a second form because and I quote A gryffin is cool but he really really wanted to be just a lion."

"Did you tell him that isn't possible?" Severus asked trying to wrap his mind around a ten year old being able to do what the photos showed him.

"No, because Leo would take that as a challenge and I hate to say it but succeed. Narcissa feels that this is all our fault because we have relaxed a bit on their schooling. I tend to agree because as I have said, they do tend to find mischief it I don't keep them occupied."

"Lucius, just how strong is his magical core?" Severus asked.

"High, the thing is, Draco's was above average when he was born but now, his has grown as well. Varius Anabic seems to feel that because both boys seemingly have this ability to do the impossible." Lucius said shaking his head. "They were four the first time they changed the color of my hair. Draco did it so that I had the same color hair as Leo's. Oddly enough, they had the good sense to never attempt to do this with Narcissa."

Minerva looked at Lucius and then at Severus before looking back at the photo. "Lucius, I am assuming you are here for a reason other than to tell us about your sons."

"I am." He said. "I have promised my wife to step up and take over the family mantle. Which means that I am unavailable to reel the boys in myself. Narcissa finds it impossible to be strict with them unless it involves what is proper and improper deportment. She tends to indulge them a bit otherwise. I need to arrange a tutor for them until it is time for them to enter Hogwarts."

Minerva gave Severus a large smirk as she thought about how much trouble he had given her about the Weasley twins who were first years, looking at the photo, she looked over at her rival head of house and said "What did you tell me at the end of the school year? I fear dear Severus, you are about to be hoisted on your own petard."

He only raised his left eye brow before chuckling and saying "The younger boy's animagus form is a gryffin, my dear Minerva."

"Don't let that convince you he will be Minerva's to handle, Severus. Leo also has an affinity for dragons, unicorns oh and snakes." He said with a smirk. "Now, to get back to why I am here. I did some checking around and found out that one of your former Lions does some private tutoring. I was hoping you could arrange a meeting with Remus Lupin."

Seeing their surprise, and Minerva's unease, he said "I know about his affliction. I just feel that his past might come in handy when it comes to dealing with the boys. I am more than willing to pay for him to take wolfsbane during the next few years."

"I will contact him for you, but Remus seems to prefer short term assignments." Minerva stated.

"I am hoping once he meets with the boys, he will find it in his schedule to teach them until it is time for them to attend Hogwarts." Lucius smoothly replied. Seeing the surprise on Snape's face, he said "A lot has changed old friend. More than I felt comfortable putting down in writing."

Nodding, he looked at the photo that was showing the animagus form and said "Why do I think that it has something to do with your adopted son?"

"You would be right. When we adopted Leo, I knew it would change things, but when we blood adopted him the summer he turned five, it was as if both Narcissa and I, saw life through his eyes." Lucius said. Thanking Minerva for her time and telling her he had to go meet an old friend but that he would check back, he asked "I would prefer if this stayed between the three of us. My son deserves a chance to be a kid, without expectations that others might place on him if they knew of his talent."

"It will stay with the three of us." Minerva promised and Severus did the same.

"Severus, if you are free for dinner tomorrow night, please stop over. Narcissa and the boys are remaining in Paris until Friday and I would love the company." He said and when the other wizard stiffly agreed to stop over, Lucius once again thanks Minerva and left her office exiting through the front doors and barely escaping before the Headmaster returned via the floo in his office.

Joining his fellow teachers at dinner, he brightly asked "So what did I miss?"

"Nothing much." Flitwick replied.

"Lucius Malfoy stopped in, looking for a tutor for his sons." Minerva added knowing that the castle portraits would be spreading that gossip as soon as possible. "He inquired if I knew of anyone."

"Interesting, though, I was unaware that he had more than one son." Albus said squinting a bit at having missing that information.

"Narcissa and he blood adopted the orphaned son of an acquaintance." Severus stated. "From what I have heard, he will be attending Hogwarts at the same time as Draco."

"Uh, interesting." Albus said hiding his from at the thought of that death eater having two sons who he would have surely trained in the dark arts to follow his master. Deciding that he had to balance out that threat against young Harry, he mentally went through the list of potential allies for the boy who lived.

* * *

Minerva was rather unhappy to get a rather curt reply from Remus informing her that he was unavailable to tutor anyone. Annoyed, she continued on to visit her old student, Andromeda Black and her daughter Dora who would be seventh year this upcoming school year.

When she hesitantly mentioned Narcissa, to her surprise she was told that Andi and her youngest sister had declared if not a truce at least a cease fire. "We mainly owl each other back and send cards on the holidays but it is more than it ever was before."

"I am happy for you." Minerva said wondering what on earth could have happened to change the attitudes of pureblood supremacists like the Malfoys.

"She changed after He Who Must Not Be Named fell." Andi replied. "She has two sons who from the letters I receive are the center of her life. I never thought that Malfoy was good enough for her. I hated that she ended up with an arranged marriage, but from our letters, I truly believe he loves her and their sons. It's all I ever wanted for her."

"He is looking for a tutor for their sons. I contacted Remus Lupin, but..."

"Really?" Dora asked with an eager expression on her face. She had been young at the time, maybe seven or eight but she remembered the quieter of the Marauders and had long felt a connection to him when his name would occasionally come up. "He is really nice."

"Dora, why don't you go spend the afternoon with your friend, Sophie." Her mom stated and when her daughter looked like she was about to protest, Andi made it an order. Seeing Minerva's surprise, she bit her lip and said "She only met him a few times, Minerva, but did you see the hair color change and the eyes?"

Nodding Minerva asked "Ten years? She still reacts like that?"

"Yes, I keep reminding myself that it is only a crush on someone who was nice to her at a moment when things were dark. Still, I wonder sometimes." Andi replied. "Are you going to try and convince Remus to take the job?"

"If you had asked me yesterday if I would ever recommend that he take a job working for Lucius Malfoy, I would tell you that it was an idiotic idea, but Malfoy seems …. different." Minerva finally said after a moments hesitation.

* * *

Remus Lupin tore the parchment he had received from his former head of house to shreds, angry that she kept sending him notes asking him to reconsider this position. He didn't like the feeling that she was offering him charity, positive that she was still feeling guilty for their failed attempt to retrieve Harry all those years ago. He would haven't like it under normal circumstances but lately, his mind seemed fixated on one subject and one subject only.

The ten year old son of one of his oldest friends and the man's wife who had become one of his dearest friends at a time of real darkness. He had made a promise to James and to Lily to protect Harry and had only agreed to the Headmaster's suggestion of staying away because he had believed it would keep Harry safe. The thing was, he knew that there was something he forgot, something that was driving him to be worried about the sweet green eyes little boy who was full of mischief even as a baby.

He had recently seen Lily's sister and had found it hard not to follow the woman home to see Prong's son. Petunia had been in nearby Brighton and he had known it was her almost instantly. Sort of hard to forget a woman who had sneered and declared him an animal upon meeting him.

This was the person whose home the Headmaster had deemed safest in which to protect Harry from the remaining Death Eaters. A woman who more than likely had taught his cub to fear and loath him. It made his heart ache and he felt shame at the knowledge he had not had the courage to at least check on the son of his friends.

Reaching for the bottle of fire whiskey, he stared at it and unscrewed the cap, was about to tilt it up to drink straight from the bottle when something, some part of him that was filled with rage over the unfairness of being forced to stay away had him throwing the bottle into the lit fireplace and finding satisfaction as it shattered.

"I hope that wasn't meant for me." Remus heard the dulcet tones of yet another of his past mistakes standing in his doorway. Ignoring the man, Remus picked up his wand and banished the mess he created. "We need to talk."

"No, we don't." Remus said in an even tone. "Go away, Snape."

"I would but you have annoyed Minerva so much that she was going to send Hagrid looking for you." The tall man said as he leaned against the open door jam. With a sneer on his face, he took in the dust in the room and the rickety furniture and said "She is very determined that you accept that position and frankly from the looks of things, you really don't look like you can afford not to accept it."

"Bugger off, Snivellus." He snapped.

"Channeling the traitor Black now, are we?" Severus taunted the werewolf hoping to get a rise out of the man. It worked. Before he could say another word, Lupin turned around his wand at the ready and looking ready to hex him. "My oh my, feeling rather sensitive aren't we?"

"What the fuck do you want, Snape?" He growled.

"Me?" He asked holding up his hand. "Nothing from you. Minerva on the other hand, well she is concerned that one of her lions isn't taking care of himself. I think that you at least owe it to her to pay her a visit at Hogwarts, Lupin."

"I can't." Lupin answered in a broken tone. "I haven't been back there since..."

"So instead of moving on, of at least being man enough to understand that when Potter's boy turns eleven he is going to need you in his life, instead you are going to wallow in your filth. I know that you have been making money as a tutor, good money from what I hear, yet here you are living in this old ruin of a cottage for no other reason that to punish yourself for crimes only you seem to see."

When Remus went to attack him, Severus bared his teeth and sneered at the other wizard. "Go ahead, try and you will find out that unlike you, I have been practicing, preparing for the day that we both know will come."

Tossing his wand to the side, Remus fell onto the chair and said "Why would you give a damn about anything I am doing?"

"I don't. Minerva does. Look, Lupin, your possible future employer has approached me about making wolfsbane for you, monthly. I know that you have refused to drink it so far, even if I don't understand your reasoning. We both know that you don't enjoy changing into the wolf."

"I don't need McGonagall's charity." Remus said his mind on the irony of having a large untouched trust fund set up for him by his late friends and how so many people seemed to believe he needed a hand out.

Scoffing, Severus said "Obviously, you didn't read the note in it's entirety. The job is for Lucius Malfoy and his two sons."

"Malfoy?" Lupin said now outright laughing. "As if a bigot like that would ever let a werewolf near his blood."

"Talk to the man, met the boys at least." Severus said setting down the piece of paper with the address of Malfoy Manor on it. "Before you do, go speak to Andromeda Tonks, Lupin."

"I can't. I can't even look at anyone who used to be a Black." Remus said in an icy cold tone. "I will never get over what Sirius did, never."

* * *

Severus flooed Lucius who asked for the address of the werewolf. The Potion's master heard the sound of two young voices in the background as the sound of running feet were heard and got his first look at his godson and his brother outside of photos.

"Dad...oops, we will come back." The dark haired boy said and grabbing Draco was pulling him out of the library.

"Dad?" Severus asked sounding surprised. "Not father?"

"It's only dad from the both of them when they need me to run interference with Narcissa." Lucius ruefully admitted. "I am guessing that she informed them that they were to clean their own rooms and not have the house elves do it."

"Really? A Malfoy cleaning up after themselves?" Severus asked stated with an amazed expression on his face.

"She worries about spoiling the boys." Lucius admitted. "When are you available to come for dinner?"

"Now that school is back in session, I will be hard pressed until Christmas break." Severus admitted. Hearing the chime on his door, he let Lucius know that he had to close the floo, and went to answer the door. Finding the headmaster standing there, he invited the older man in.

"I heard that Lucius Malfoy asked you to make the wolfsbane potion." Albus stated.

"He did, but it is pending Remus Lupin accepting a position to tutor his sons." Severus said. "Leo and Draco should be joining us at Hogwarts next year."

"I am rather surprised that Lucius would even think of hiring Mr. Lupin. Do you have any idea why he would even consider him for the position? Maybe one of his sons is  
similarly afflicted?" Albus thought about that and hoped his conclusion was a correct one allowing him to keep at least one of Malfoy's sons out of Hogwarts while Harry Potter was attending school.

"I doubt it, I have seen photos of the boys attending celebrations on the full moon and they both looked like normal wizards." Severus said knowing that the Headmaster was looking for excuses to keep one of the Malfoy boys out of Hogwarts when his precious Harry Potter attended, he knew that the man would be thrilled if there was a way to prevent both of the boys from attending. "I am of the belief that his hiring of Lupin is more about his political clout than anything else."

Albus frowned as he recalled hearing Fudge mentioning that the younger wizard was intending on taking up his seat on the Wizengamot. As the two of them walked towards the Great Hall, knowing that the Hogwarts Express would be arriving in Hogsmead any minute, Albus Dumbledore was trying to figure out if Lucius Malfoy was in touch with his old master and if he could be used to move forward his plans for the greater good.

* * *

Remus was returning to his cottage after a visit to Hogsmead only to find a tall blond waiting for him. Looking at Lucius Malfoy, he said "I don't know what you are up to but I am not interested."

"Too bad." the other man stated and then tossed a small package at the werewolf whose natural instincts had him catching it.

Remus felt the tug of a portkey and was lecturing himself for being so stupid as to let his guard down. When he landed with a hard thump in the middle of a large parlor with Narcissa Malfoy seated on a nearby settee, he stood with the intent of exiting the room only to hear a young voice saying "Are you our new tutor?"

His eyes went wide and his heart stopped as Remus recognized the scent of the dark haired boy with the emerald green eyes. Pulling out his wand, intending on grabbing Prong's son and getting out of there, he found himself wrapped in ropes as well as gagged before being lifted to lay on the sofa he had seen Narcissa Malfoy seated upon.

"Boys, your father and I need to speak to Mr. Lupin alone. Why don't you two go gather your swimsuits and toys so that you may have your morning swim." she said and when they had left, she removed the gag just as Lucius arrived.

The blond looked at the werewolf and then at his wife. "What happened?"

"Exactly what I told you would happen. I believe that you owe me a certain necklace." She smugly informed her husband before turning to Remus and saying "Unlike the lies that the Headmaster has been telling the world, Harry Potter has not been with the Dursleys. He hasn't lived there for over nine years, not since my husband paid them off."

With that, she exited the room to go supervise the two ten years old that could wreck havoc without supervision since they had long ago learned how to manipulate poor Dobby who pretty much worshiped the ground that Harry walked upon.

Lucius released the ropes and when Remus went to attack again, he removed the other wizard's wand and said "You need to listen to me."

"Why should I trust you?" Remus sneered. "Give me one good reason not to go to Dumbledore and have you tossed into Azkaban where you belong."

"One good reason, that's all?" Lucius said. Walking to his desk, he picked up the folder he had been creating for almost a decade and handed him the top piece of paper. When the other man had silently read it, he pulled the memory of his first meeting with the Dursleys and Harry and put it in the pensive on his desk. "I will go inside with you."

 _Vernon Durlsey looked nervous and Lucius was enjoying holding the upper hand with this filthy muggle. Ordering him to sit down and be quiet, he watched as the man gulped down his spit as Lucius could smell his fear._ Remus could smell the man's fear as he realized that Lucius could remember it after this time and knew that Dursley had done something most definitely wrong.

" _What should I do with you? Daring to steal from me? Did you really think that you wouldn't get caught?"_ Remus looked at Harry's uncle and shook his head at the outrage that quickly faded from the fat man's face as he began to speak.

" _I-I have the money. I can repay you."_ As Remus listened to what Malfoy was saying to the muggle he found himself wondering what on earth the Headmaster had been thinking in leaving someone like this in charge of the heir to the vast Potter fortune.

" _Dursley, are you listening to me?"_

" _Y-yes, yes, I am listening."_ Remus smirked as he looked at the man who had very clearly not been listening.

" _Perhaps you would like to call your wife and inform her what I requested."_ Dursley jumped when Malfoy demanded the man bring his wife into work along with his son and was hoping he would get to see young Harry as well. _"Now, Dursley. I want your wife and the whelp you claim to have stolen from me for, brought to this office immediately. I will return as soon as I have dealt with accounting."_

 _Lucius walked out of the room and went to speak to accounting._ The bowl went dark and then a new scene appeared.

Lucius and now Remus watched as Petunia Dursley walked through the open double doors and greeted her husband and turned to look at the taller man dressed in a clearly expensive suit in spite of his hippie style haircut, standing at the windows looking out it and ignoring her husband. "Hello, I am Petunia Dursley."

The wizard stared at the woman and felt his lip curl as he took in the unpleasant face and the child who was wearing clothes that were clearly several sizes too big and in an odd contraption that looked like it was holding him hostage. Remus looked at the boy and was surprised to notice that it was a rather sickly Harry in the baby carrier. He moaned at how ill his cub looked and was turning to growl at the wizard next to him but was stopped as he was told to watch and listen.

 _Lucius watched as Petunia greeted her husband and then sat the child down on the table. Clearly whatever Dursley claimed, they weren't exactly the loving parents who had stolen from him to support their child. Dursley looked at the child, he saw a sense of deceit and a smug grin on the man's face as he told his wife why he had asked her to bring the boy._

" _The boy?" He asked. "Surely as loving parents, you don't refer to your only child as the boy? What is his name?"_

 _Ha-er, Dudley. My son's name is Dudley." Hearing her stuttering response and how she seemed almost nervous as she lifted the child and held him. Remus couldn't figure out why they were claiming Harry was their own son and he really didn't like where this seemed to be going._

" _Did your husband explain what is to happen here?"_

" _N-no, he just asked me to bring the boy-er, to come to his workplace."_ Remus could see why Lucius had asked him to wait to question him, it was very clear that they were lying.

" _He doesn't look much like you, Dursley. Are you sure you wife has been faithful?"_ Remus listened as Malfoy taunted the man.

" _I would never cheat on Vernon." The annoying wife replied in a shrill tone. "He knows that our son is his child."_

" _What if I were to say that I would let your criminal behavior be buried if you were to legally hand over your son to my wife and myself? Would you do it? Your husband said he would, what do you think of that, Mrs. Dursley?"_ Remus growled again, this time ready to rip the head off of the man in front of him in spite of it only being a memory.

" _I would miss him off course but it is rather clear that you could afford to raise my darling child. I would never do anything that would hold him back from having the very best there is to offer."_ Remus heard the lies and his blood was now boiling.

" _Who says that I would give him the best? For all you know, I might intend to lock him in the dungeons in exchange for letting your husband go."_ Lucius saw Remus growling as he turned to look at him and rolled his eyes at the other man who had seen that Harry was healthy.

Hearing Dursley using words like child services, authorities and keeping secrets, Remus felt sick to his stomach as he began to understand that they were only worried about how this would affect them and not the child they were already planning on abandoning. Remus watched the tableau playing out before him and saw the moment that Malfoy realized who he was holding in his hands. He saw the look of hatred not for the baby but for the couple in front of him and was rather eager to watch expecting the man to torture the horrid muggles.

Remus found himself rather glad that Lucius had rescued the boy as he heard him saying _"It's simple. You either turn over custody of this child to me or go to prison, Dursley. I am quite certain that we could find charges to be filed against yourself, Mrs. Dursley if I asked my staff to look hard enough."_

" _Fine, take the brat." Vernon snarled._

" _I want paperwork filed with my solicitors by the time you leave the building. Clear out your desk, Dursley. Your wife can go meet with Mr. Ashcroft while you move to your new office."_

When they left without so much as a second glance at the boy and went to obey his orders. Remus heard Malfoy saying _"I came here to deal with a thief and instead find the answer to quite a few questions. So, Harry Potter, just how on earth did the Boy Who Lived End up in the custody of those muggles?"_

Lupin watched as Harry simply yawned and the man shook his head as he walked through the small building carrying the kid in his arms. Down in the legal department, he gave the requisite orders to his team and without another word to anyone, returned to his office and using the fireplace, flooed home.

The scene change locations and Remus saw that they were in the same room he had portkeyed into.

 _When Varius Anabic arrived, Harry was still being held by Lucius who said "Treat him first, I will explain later."_

 _Holding his wand out, Varius said "Potter, Harry, nito puer salutem."_

Remus gasped right along side Narcissa as she was staring in anger at the words that were coming out of the healer's wand and writing on a nearby tablet. He watched as the healer began pulling out vials of potions while Narcissa had knelt down and was reaching out for Harry. She stood and settled back into her chair and began cooing at Potter while Varius was staring holes into Lucius. "What did you see?"

" _Who had this boy?" The healer demanded._

" _Muggles. Filthy lying cheating muggles."_

" _What do you intend to do with him?"_

" _Raise him. As one of our own." Narcissa replied before Lucius could even speak. She was gently patting Harry and slowly removing the rather atrocious outfit. T_ he werewolf watched the cold blooded woman being so careful of his honorary godson.

There were black and blue marks all over the child's body and blisters on Harry's bottom. Remus watched as Lucius went towards the fireplace, his intent shown on his face until his wife stopped him. Whirling he snarled. _"They dared, DARED harm a magical child. Them? Those things?"_

His inner wolf howling in anger, Remus heard the healer speaking. "He has been with them how long?"

Remus couldn't help thinking that his sweet innocent godson had been left with those monsters since the night his parent's died as he listened to what they had done to Harry and what he had needed to right the cruelty committed against him.

Just when Remus was convinced that nothing more could shock him, he heard them talking about the scar that Harry now had on his forehead and why it needed to be treated right away. As Narcissa and the healer chanted abditus obscurus pestis consacratus Harry Potter there was a release of bright light and what looked like a hive of black bees came out of Harry's now bleeding scar and with shrieks that seemed to search the room. With a quickly muttered banishing charm, the shriek grew louder and then seemed to catch fire and burn themselves out.

Remus was demanding to know what was that at the time the others were saying it in the memory. When he heard the healer say that the scar had been left untreated by Dumbledore, Remus felt horrified when they began to speak of tracking and compulsion charms that the old man had placed on Harry.

Remus was tossed out of the pensive and looked over at the blond wizard who said "I have been back for three weeks and know that in spite of losing track of Harry the Headmaster has kept up the cover of pretending to know how he is doing."

"Harry or as we have been calling him Leo is a full member of my family. We adopted him and then when he was five, I blood adopted him when he became ill. It was a residual effect of what had happened during those six months that he lived with those wretched muggles. He is Draco's little brother, he is loved as much as Draco. We spent years helping him get over his fears of not being fed, of being locked in a dark cupboard and his nightmares. Don't make the mistake of thinking I won't fight to protect my son."

Remus nodded and when Lucius put another memory in the pensive, he silently followed the older wizard into the stone bowl. Watching the memories of the Dursleys had Remus so angry as he realized that if Harry had been left with them, he would have more than likely died a victim of child abuse.

The absolute greed he saw in Petunia's mind had him wondering how on earth this woman could possibly be related to Lily Evans even as she constantly called a boy who wasn't even two a freak instead of by his name.

Remus was cursing the Headmaster as he watched the lavish Christmas celebrated a mere eight weeks after Lily's death they had bestowed on their own child, the once a day diaper changes and bottles with water in them for Harry. How Harry spent all of his time in the cupboard.

He saw how Petunia accepted cheap donated diapers that she knew Harry was allergic to. How the woman had gotten money from the muggle authorities for Harry and the Potter estate had been sending them another two hundred galleons each month and yet they hadn't spent a single pound on Harry.

Lucius stated. "The funds are now going to a bank account for Harry to access when he is older. I would be willing to bet that his own estate somehow is held up until he is seventeen in spite of his being the last Potter heir. He has almost thirty four thousand galleons in it, a drop in the bucket I know, but I wasn't going to allow them to keep a single knut."

The blond made a point of showing Remus his examination of the so-called blood ward and heard him moaning in pain and anger and knew he could have exited the memories but he wanted this wizard to understand just how bad things were regarding Harry's past with that family.

Pulling out of that memory, Lucius considered telling him about his investigation into Black but stayed silent for now, just in case he was wrong about it. "The Headmaster sealed all of the Potter estate but what he didn't know was that the Goblins have a copy of the files for Harry when he turns fourteen. Narcissa and I have legal custody in both worlds unless Sirius is found innocent or the Longbottoms wake up."

Remus said in a bitter tone. "No chance of either of those things happening, is there?"

"On a different note, were you aware that James bound some of Harry's magical core?" Lucius asked.

Remus nodded and said "Harry was performing magic almost from the moment he was born and if Lily was correct on some things, even before."

Seeing the blond looking discombobulated, Remus said "Strange things would happen when she was pregnant. Lily needed a wand, she couldn't do wandless magic but while pregnant, she would think about wanting food and it would appear. She was upset with Dumbledore over something and the next minute he was outside the wards of Potter Keep and couldn't get back inside. Whenever she was upset or happy about six months into her pregnancy things just happened."

"The binding was removed when Harry was healed. He has spent the last few years learning control because I am hoping he will be able to be as normal a boy as he can be when he attends Hogwarts. Its why I want to hire you. You are the only person who knows the truth about Leo besides my wife and myself."

"What about Harry or rather Leo?" He asked.

"We told him when he was eight. He had been having bad dreams and when we finally figured out what was causing them, we had to tell Draco and him both. They dealt with it after many very long and emotional conversations. It changed nothing other than Leo wanting to know about his biological parents. We have been to Godric's Hallow to visit their graves and he knows how they died."

"Does he know your past affiliations?" Remus asked.

"Yes, though it was a difficult decision. I didn't want him hearing rumors from others and being told half truths. He knows that I have changed my mind on how I want to achieve my goals if not my beliefs." Lucius said. He saw that that had startled the other man and said "Narcissa and I wanted to honor Lily's part in his life as much as his father's. We have had a very steep learning curve when it comes to the muggle world. I know that there are some decent muggles as often as there people like the Dursleys."

Lucius looked at the werewolf and said "However, I still think that we are too relaxed in how many people we are telling about our world. I get having to tell the parents of muggleborn witches and wizards but if they decide not to live in our world, they should be restrained of speaking about it with more than a simple piece of paper. An unbreakable vow would work much better."

"What about squibs?" Remus asked. "I have long thought we have more to fear from bitter squibs than muggleborn magicals."

"I find myself agreeing with you." Lucius admitted. "A solution must be found but as long as the Ministry is so wrapped up in this huge divide between the so called light and dark it will never happen."

"Why the change?" Remus asked. "About your muggleborn beliefs?"

"It was the fact that Harry's mother was born to a long line of squibs. She was a descendant from two magical lines that had fallen by the wayside according to the Ministry but in truth, the families were now squibs. Oh, and Petunia Evans was adopted. It's why the blood wards wouldn't work like Dumbledore believed they would. I think a deal was reached because there was a strong magical signature all over the barrister's office who was the executor of the Evans estate which suddenly went to Petunia. I reclaimed that for Harry as well."

Pulling out another memory, Lucius showed Remus his visit to the attorney's office and saw the look on the man's face as he realized that there was over eight hundred galleons a month missing from Harry's accounts. "If you do the math, it's over ninety thousand galleons."

"All they could tell me was that the money was being transferred to the family vault of someone else. If I can go to them with the correct name, then they can verify it but without that name, all we can do is stop the funds. Not request a return of what has already been spent. Only Harry can request that information when he turns fourteen."

"You arranged for me to be sent those papers about the inheritance." Remus said quietly.

"You have never touched the funds, you should. James and Lily wanted you to be there for Harry when the time came." Lucius stated. "I know that the Goblins took charge of part of it, that thanks to their investments you are worth even more than what you were left."

"As long as I wasn't allowed around Harry, I refused to touch it." Remus stated.

Lucius showed him the rest of the memories, time spent healing Harry. Watching as he went from a terrified boy to a handful at age five to the boy who now kept Draco out of more serious mischief by finding a way to make their plans work. Remus found himself tearing up as he saw Harry performing wandless magic and learning to fly on an adult broom.

He saw him riding muggle amusement park rides and swimming in the ocean while exploring both the magical and muggle worlds with his adopted family. He found himself laughing as the boys turned Lucius hair various colors and saw the older wizard chasing them around various estates more relaxed and carefree than he would have ever expected to see the man.

He saw lessons through the older man's eyes as the boys were taught about the world and their places in it. He saw the normal spats that brothers often have and moments of utter chaos as they and a house elf seemed to be determined to drive their father insane. He saw Harry's questions about his biological parents and how his adopted parents delicately handled the situation.

Pulling out of the pensive, Remus sat down on the nearby sofa and stayed silent, his mind and heart accepting that it was true. That the Malfoys clearly did love Harry and that they had honored James and Lily's place in his life. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me for loving my child." Lucius replied as he returned the memories to his mind and then poured them each a drink. "Will you help us?"

"Yes." Remus quickly answered. Looking at the older man he asked "What have you done to prepare him for the circus that his life will be when he is outed as Harry Potter?"

"We have spoken to both of the boys about people who will want to be their friends for no reason other than who they are. They have experienced the press already thanks to Rita Skeeter and her gossip column. I am more worried about Draco and how he will react. Leo has a good head on his shoulders about this sort of thing. Draco however is very protective of Harry. If someone tries to push it too far, he will be the one whose temper creates the problem." Lucius stated. "One last memory."

Remus pulled out of the pensive alone this time and looked at the blond and said "You mentioned he got a hold of this book at Christmas time and was able to pull off the spell by summer? Are you sure it was that late that they got the book?"

"Yes, why?" He asked wondering why the other wizard wasn't astounded about his being able to perform the animagus spell. "And why are you taking this so calmly?"

"I once got a floo call from James, they had lost Harry at the Keep. He called for all of us to help find him. He was only a year old at the time. Lily had gone to the store without him and he was frantic that she would kill him for losing their son." Remus said wearing a smile at the memory. "When we arrived, this rather persistent small puppy kept attacking Sirius. He carried the puppy inside thinking that James had picked it up for Harry like he had discussed. We locked it in the bathroom and went back outside to tear the gardens apart looking for the scamp."

Lucius was almost certain he knew where this was going but was still shocked when Remus said. "Lily came home in the meantime and was furious with James for locking their son in the bathroom. By the time she was finished berating him, and he was trying to explain about losing their son, Sirius returned and Harry who was in his muggle playpen changed back into the cute black Labrador puppy. Its why James bound his powers."

"At a year old?" Lucius asked aghast at realizing just how much damage the Dursleys had done to his son. "Wait, his animagus is now a Griffin."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that." Remus said as he stated "Harry could also change into a small baby deer too."

There was silence before Lucius began chuckling and said "McGonagall accused Severus of pulling a prank on her regarding her pride about being the youngest animagus at sixteen. If only she knew..."

"True, but considering that James, Peter and that bastard Black could do so by the age of fifteen, Harry's ability shouldn't be a surprise." Remus bitterly stated.

"Wait what?" Lucius asked and when Remus finished explaining about why the others had done so, he felt something tickling his mind, telling him that there was something he was missing as he suggested that they go officially meet his sons.

Remus Lupin settled in to his quarters at the Malfoy manor and found himself treated as a welcome member of the home. The Malfoys as parents had surprised him as it became very clear that Lucius had been telling him the truth regarding his feelings towards both of his sons.

The wizard made a point of being there when the boys ate breakfast in the morning, tried to have lunch in the school rooms most days and was home for dinner each evening. He regularly questioned the duo not only about what they learned but about what else they had done that day including time spent relaxing with their mother.

Remus found Narcissa the more indulgent parent, it was rather clear that both Leo and Draco were encouraged not only to learn and play but to try new things from food to magic and athletics. She also often would be gone during the day but would return for meals and would give the boys random gifts.

The boys themselves had been a surprise. Remus was reminded of James when he spent time with Leo, but there was a lack of arrogance that his friend had had as a result of overly indulgent aging parents.

TBC Maybe


	5. Founders Walk the School

**A/N: Yet another one of my starts and stops. In this one, the founders return and wreck havoc on the magical world.**

 **Founders Walk the School**

 **Chapter One**

 **Harry reluctantly smiled at Hermione's antics as they walked down the hallway after leaving the third year feast. His friend had been furious about the thought of yet a fourth Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in four years and was making sure that anyone in hearing range knew it. He couldn't help recalling the very same girl had been so obedient to their professors at the beginning of their Hogwarts education.**

 **"Harry, stop smiling." She moaned. "Seriously, this is terrible. Professor Lupin was the best DADA teacher we have had. Do you really want to deal with yet another Quirrell or Merlin forbid, Lockhart?"**

" **Here, I kind of thought you liked Lockhart at one point." He said only for Hermione to round on him and glare. Holding up his hands in a pacificating manner, he continued "I know, I know. I am sorry I even brought it up."**

" **I just don't get why when there is the Wolfsbane potion, Professor Lupin had to leave." She cried out. "We need all the good teachers we can get."**

" **Too bad it wasn't Snape leaving." Harry moaned as he thought of their Potions's Professor who seemed to hate him.**

" **Professor Snape, Harry." She corrected. Looking at the Hogwart's Coat of Arms on the Wall, she said "I just wish that we had better teachers in some subjects. Professor Binns is lousy. The only thing we have ever learned from him that wasn't about Goblins was the legend of the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Trelawny smells like Sherry every single class and Muggle Studies describes most non magical people as they were in the early forties and fifties. The textbooks don't have anything more modern than that."**

 **Harry didn't know how to answer her, he agreed about their teachers but he found that it was hard to object when his worst fear was a teacher who ignored him like in primary school or worse, one who fawned over him regarding the Boy Who Lived fame that his parent's died for. "At least none of them are trying to kill us, Hermione."**

" **Harry, when the only goal we can have is a teacher who isn't trying to kill us, there is seriously something wrong." She sneered in a tone that reminded Harry remarkably of Snape but he stayed silent, knowing Hermione would be very angry at the comparison.**

" **I just wish that someone would do something." She muttered as they continued on their way to visit with Ron who was still in the infirmary. His brothers had been told to pack for their friend as he would be leaving straight for the horseless carriages from Madame Pomphrey's tender care.**

" _ **Did you hear that?" The older man asked the beautiful but expressionless woman standing beside him. "That was call for help from one of our heirs!"**_

" _ **I told you. I told you things here required our help." The taller crisp woman standing with her arms crossed as she glared at the red headed man. "Students bullying other students, blood wars, teachers who shouldn't be allowed to teach."**_

" _ **Now calm down, Roe." The dark haired man on the other side was saying while patting**_ **her on her arm. "** _ **How were we to know it had gotten this bad?"**_

 _ **The taller woman turned and glared at the less than handsome man standing near her. "I told you that putting one of my Ravenclaws in charge of this school was a bad idea. He is all about thoughts, plans for the greater good and how he is right. I warned you years ago that he was only about the students when it fit his agenda. The students in my house should NEVER be placed in charge of Hogwarts."**_

" _ **Rowena, what should we do?" The beautiful blonde asked.**_

" _ **We need to take charge of Hogwarts." She answered.**_

" _ **No, no, the problem is more widespread." The ghosts now gathering in the hallway corrected as they were returning from the Great Hall to head to their respective domains. Rowena looked at her daughter who had just spoken and found that they had gathered an audience.**_

" _ **Queue Up." Godric loudly announced when he saw the large group of spirits who were all trying to speak at the same time. "You shall come through, one at a time to inform us of this current time period."**_

 **Leaving the infirmary, Harry and Hermione were walking back towards their tower when the saw an odd sight. The Hogwart's ghosts were standing in a straight line in the third floor hallway talking to one another by the Hogwart's Coat of Arms.**

 **Harry and Hermione heard small snippets of conversation that made no sense to them.**

 _ **The Ministry has forgotten its job. There are too many laws about nonsense and the Wizengamot protecting its own bailiwick and not helping the downtrodden.**_

 _ **St. Mungos refuses treatment to muggleborns without payment first. Did you hear about the shocking way they refuse to update their medical practices?**_

 _ **The Department of Mysteries is too secretive. Wasn't their job supposed to be about moving the magical world forward not back to the middle ages.**_

 _ **Not doing the heritage test on students, careless supervision of houses, favoritism running rampant.**_

 _ **I want to pass on but the Headmaster refused to let me. He makes me guard that horrible place. Last year I was attacked by a student throwing a book into me - Moaning Myrtle was telling another spirit who had once been a witch.**_

 _ **The Houses are dividing the students, not uniting them. Quidditch only available for those who can afford brooms and no other clubs or athletics available.**_

" **I wonder what is going on." Harry said to Hermione and seeing a familiar ghost; he stopped and greeted** _ **Nearly Headless Nick. "Greetings,**_ **Sir Nick,"**

" **Hello young Harry Potter." The ghost replied. "Are you looking forward to returning home for the summer?"**

" **Not really, Nick. I would rather stay here. My relatives don't want me there." He answered bluntly. "Sir Nick, may I ask why you and your fellow ghosts are lined up so?"**

 **The ghost gave a large smile to his favorite current Gryffindor and said "We are voicing our complaints, my young friend. It's an event that happens once a millennium so we take it very seriously. I, other than my ghostly complaints have to decide between two very different but rather petty complaints to speak up regarding school and of course the magical world."**

" **Would I be able to help you decide?" Harry offered while Hermione stared in shock at all of the ghosts, some still unknown to her and as she counted those in line, she noticed something.**

" **Sir Nick, there are more ghosts here than in Hogwart's a History." She reported.**

" **Ms. Granger after three years, I would have thought you would have come to realize that the answers to everything cannot be found in a book." The ghost gently admonished. "Most books are written by man. He is a flawed and biased person. Yes, some of these ghosts are missing from your book, but that is because the author either was too lazy or the ghosts didn't want to be included."**

" **I see." Hermione said wearing a slight frown at the idea of books being wrong. It was bad enough for her to learn the previous year that Lockhart had been a fraud truly destroying her unfailing belief in teachers but she still wanted to believe in the truth about books.**

" **Now thank you for your offer young Potter but we ghosts are forbidden by the founders to request the help of the living to decide what must be brought to Hogwart's attention. They believe that the living are biased."**

 **Harry and Hermione were urged to move on by the Gray Lady who seemed to be in charge of keeping the lines orderly, so they went on to their towers to relax in the common room with their friends for their last night at Hogwarts.**

" **Where have you two been? Down visiting poor little Ronnikins?" George asked as Fred and he sat down across from the two of them.**

" **He wanted to come up here for the night but Madam Pomfrey refused to let him." Harry said. "Did you get all of his stuff packed up?"**

" **Yes, and we even left it all alone, no tricks." Fred announced proudly.**

" **What he forgot to mention was that Professor McGonagall was there." Seamus announced as Dean and he joined them. "She was talking to Longbottom. His great uncle Auggie died and Neville is going home tonight."**

" **That must be the one who tried to drop him out a window." Hermione said with a frown on her face.**

" **That would be the one." Dean agreed. "Harry, is there any way you could try and talk Professor Lupin out of resigning? He has been the best of the bunch by far. I heard some of the Snakes talking and they said that he was friends with your dad years ago."**

" **I spoke to him the day he left. He told me that parents were complaining about a werewolf teaching their kids. He didn't want to cause trouble for the Headmaster so he quit." Harry replied and felt bad when he saw that all of the nearby Gryffindors were equally upset.**

" **Oh please, my parents write a letter every single year with complaints about Professor Snape and they are ignored." Oliver Wood stated as he joined them. "I have been here seven years and that means seven letters and nothing has been done regarding Snape so Professor Lupin should have just stayed and weathered it out."**

" **Unlike Professor Snape, Professor Lupin is too kind to do that." Hermione replied then flushed at insulting their Potions Professor.**

 **Harry and Hermione soon forgot about the ghosts, in the excitement of the end of the year or rather dread in Harry's mind. He was talking quietly to Oliver Wood regarding Quidditch and how much he was going to miss the graduating team captain.**

 **Hermione nor Harry had any idea that all of the upcoming upheaval that would start as a result of their innocent conversation regarding incompetent teachers in the third corridor hallway.**

* * *

 ****

 **Albus Dumbledore sat at the head table, blue eyes twinkling as he wished the students well during their upcoming summer. He had no idea the chaos that was about to be released as he jovially waved good-bye to the students as they went to the carriages.**

 **He turned to walk towards Hagrid's quarters, having wished those of his teachers leaving that afternoon a fond farewell already. He was already planning his special surprise for the students for the next year, unaware that changes were soon to put an end to his plans.**

 **Professors Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick were talking to Professor Sprout as they went towards their respective Houses to do one final check before leaving to fulfill their own summer plans,**

 **Flitwick with plans to spend it researching an archaic branch of charms in America, Sprout to her own home to spend the summer puttering around in her own greenhouses, McGonagall to rejuvenate her old bones with a visit to a milk bath spa she had read about in one of Lavender Brown's confiscated Witch Weekly magazines.**

 **Snape however was still breathing fire at the loss of a possible Order of Merlin and his treatment at the hands of Sirius Black. He refused to consider that it was three third year students who had gotten the drop on him at the shrieking shack and he was looking forward to spending the summer doing nothing, absolutely nothing with children. He even intended to avoid his godson Draco that summer.**

 **Pomfrey had watched as the Weasley boys and sister left in the last carriage and were heading back to castle when she felt a slight chill as she entered the stone building but it was soon replaced by a strong sense of purpose.**

 **In the infirmary, she set herself a project for the summer. She had been lax the last few years in regard to updating and inspecting her incoming new student files. Groaning when she realized that that meant she had over a hundred and twenty back-dated files to fix, she decided to work in reverse. She started with the oldest and working her way forward.**

 **Grabbing her Hufflepuff medical files starting with Hannah Abbott, she went to her small office in her quarters to made herself a pot of tea. The house elves tried but they just didn't make it to her satisfaction. Pomfrey sat down, enjoying the peace and quiet of knowing that there should be no medical emergencies that summer. She took out her own personal indulgence, muggle colored ink pens and began to thoroughly exam files.**

* * *

 _ ****_

 _ **The ghosts were all back in their usual haunts, discussing the upcoming changes in thrilled tones when Godric and Helga came out of the Coat of Arms. Salazar was still reeling from the news that his pet basilisk had attacked students and Rowena was scouting out one last location before she left the tapestry.**_

 _ **Sal exited the tapestry, looked down at his latest form and frowned at the long hair. "Well, this really needs to go."**_

" _ **Salazar, would you please for now, just ignore you overwrought vanity." Rowena announced as she exited the tapestry. "We have bigger problems than your hair."**_

" _ **Well, what did you find out?" Helga asked.**_

" _ **That miserable pompous bastard is reading the prophecy all wrong and that sweet young boy is suffering for his arrogance." She announced wearing a scowl that quickly became an impish grin as she continued "I found something very interesting in his desk. A will for the boy's parents."**_

" _ **How is that interesting?" Godric asked as he scowled when he came across a mirror as they walked down the corridors of their school. "Damme, my hair is still red."**_

" _ **Oh will you two boys ever get over your need to emulate peacocks?" Helga asked glaring at Sal and Ric. "Now, what did you learn, Rowena?"**_

" _ **That man I told you about. The one who should have been Godric's, The Potter boy isn't the only orphan whose life he interfered with." Rowena said. "He is the perfect solution to how to fix things for the boy. In fact, I made a visit before exiting the tapestry that should start putting his world to rights."**_

* * *

 ****

 **Severus Snape picked up his miniaturized trunk and was about to floo to his home when a large rather strange looking bird arrived in his dungeons. Taking the offered scroll, he was shocked to find that it was from the Goblins. Stepping up to th** _ **e floo he**_ **frowned then called out "Gringotts. Severus arrived in a dark hallway with two Goblins standing in front of him holding their axes at ready.**

 **Showing them the scroll the shorter one grunted and glared at him before stating "Follow me."**

 **Leading him to a large ornate door he snarled "Stay here, don't move."**

 **The Goblin went inside and to Snape's annoyance he saw yet another Goblin arrive to stand next to him. The door opened fifteen minutes later and the Goblin seated behind the desk demanded "Get in here, Severus Tobias Snape."**

 **The guard left and the door closed and Severus was ordered to be seated. "Mr.. Snape may I ask why you have been so rude as to ignore our yearly summons yet felt the need to arrive without apologizing for your behavior?"**

" **I was unaware of any such summons." Snape replied only for the Goblin to mutter a quiet charm and a series of scrolls arrived in front of the Potions Master. Snape lifted the unrolled the scrolls shocked to see that they were inquiries regarding an inheritance from his late mother's family. "I don't understand. My mother had nothing for me to inherit except the house we lived in at Spinner's End."**

 **Sneering the goblin replied "Your mother was the last of the Prince family. A long and distinguished magical line until she chose to marry a muggle."**

 **Severus just raised his brow, not getting what his terrible father had to do with any of this. "Yes, she was but there was nothing left. I understood that her great aunt had disinherited her because she married my father."**

" **That statement is correct, however she did not disinherit you. She died the summer you turned sixteen. A letter was sent to you in care of your Headmaster at Hogwarts stating that you were her sole heir." Tendak reported.**

" **I was never told about this." Snape replied. His outer surface was calm but deep inside, Severus was absolutely furious at what he was sure was Albus interfering in his life.**

" **We lost contact with you for a few years after you graduated Hogwarts and while you were in custody for suspicion regarding your behavior during the last war, your inheritance was held in abeyance. Upon your acquittal, we once again sent you letters to your residence at Hogwarts."**

 **Snape was doing a slow burn as he listened to the Goblin explain to him that his mother's great aunt had left her entire estate to him. "What does that consist of?"**

" **A country house and its contents on the outskirts of Dover, her personal and her family vault here at Gringotts and of course her patents regarding the upgrade to certain potions she created or upgraded." Tendak announced.**

 **In shock but thrilled at the idea of his inheritance but finished with trusting the headmaster, he asked "Is there a family attorney?"**

" **None that I am aware of. I can recommend an up and coming muggleborn lawyer whom we have had recent dealings with." The Goblin stated and soon had conjured up the man's business card. "He specializes in contract law."**

" **Thank you." Snape said then asked to be taken to his newest vaults. After the rather fast ride to the personal vault of the late Livia Prince, he asked that his own personal vault's contents be combined with the current one.**

" **It will be done." Tendak replied. Snape picked up two of the books on the shelves and they were soon on a much longer ride to the Prince family vault. In it, he found more books, several keys and files that he decided to take with him along with a huge amount of galleons, sickles and knuts.**

 **Leaving the bank, determined to find out if this lawyer could get him out of his Hogwart's contract, he walked down Diagon Alley to find the man's office. Inside the cooled interior, he was invited to have a seat and offered tea by the receptionist who looked vaguely familiar.**

 **The attorney walked out, shook hands with the client he had been speaking with then turned to greet Snape. "I am Jacob Hammond. May I inquire as to who you are?"**

 **Holding out his hand, Snape replied. "I am Severus Snape, Potion's Master and currently the Potions Professor at Hogwart's School for Magic in Scotland."**

" **Please join me in my office. Tabitha, you may head out to lunch now and remember you are not allowed to speak about who you have seen in my office. I will fire you if you do so." He warned then once they were in the office, Barrister Hammond said "She is skilled and for the most part personable but I could see her eagerness to let someone know you were here."**

" **I thought she looked familiar." Snape replied with a cool tone. "Tabitha Davies, she graduated from Hogwarts a few years ago. She was a terrible potion's maker."**

" **Thankfully, that isn't part of her job description." Jacob stated then looking Snape over asked "How may I help you, sir?"**

" **I am in the middle of a multi-year Hogwart's contract and I would like to get out of it." He replied. "I have recently learned that the Headmaster has been hiding my inheritance I was to receive from my great aunt since I was sixteen years old."**

" **May I ask how many years that is?"**

" **It will almost be eighteen years this August." Snape replied. "A little over four years ago, I signed a new contract for ten years under the impression that Albus Dumbledore was a friend as well as a colleague."**

" **Do you have a copy of the contract?" Jacob asked and was soon handed Snape's copy. Reading it, he said "Have any other teachers been let go at Hogwart's since you signed your contract?"**

" **One every single year in the Defense of Dark Arts post and the Care of Magical Creatures teacher retired midway through his contract last year." Snape replied.**

" **What do you know of the reasons for the teachers leaving the first position during this current contract?" Jacob asked and his quill began to write.**

" **Agro who was employed four years ago had a nervous breakdown as the result of a poltergeist at our school named Peeves. He spent a year in seclusion and is now employed as an accountant." Snape said.**

" **What about next year?"**

" **The next year would be Quirrell. He also came to a bad end. He was being possessed by a dark spirit. He is dead." Snape answered and then continued "Gilderoy Lockhart should have been fired for incompetence his very first week but he was still there at the end of the year until he tried to obliviate a student's mind with a broken wand and ended up removing his own memory. I believe he is in the long term ward at St. Mungos."**

 **Looking up Snape saw the man's shock and inwardly admitted to himself that he should confess that the position was cursed. "This year the Headmaster employed a former classmate of mine who is also a werewolf."**

" **Dare I ask if he made it to the end of the year?" Barrister Hammond inquired.**

" **He resigned when the students informed their parents of his condition. The headmaster received several howlers and it was decided that it was no longer prudent to keep him employed." Snape replied hiding his pleasure at that.**

" **Oh." Hammond frowned. "Unfortunately, none of these situations are even remotely similar to yours. You have according to this file been employed at Hogwarts since you were twenty-one. Is that correct?"**

" **Yes, I have worked there twelve and a half years. I worked half a year my first year as a teacher." Snape replied.**

" **You are also head of Slytherin House? You make the potions for the Infirmary? As well as act as a second Deputy and Quidditch referee when needed?" Jacob asked as he read the contract in front of him.**

" **Yes." Snape answered.**

" **I am sorry to say that your contract is still enforceable for the upcoming school year. However, I think with some maneuvering I can get you free of your contract for the last five years of it. You should know that your employer is in violation of several International Employment requirements but in order to use them again him, I need you to stay at the school this upcoming year."**

" **Why?" Snape inquired.**

" **Simply put you must receive restitution for these extra jobs and from the way your contract is written, you don't. Also though we haven't discussed it, your reputation has preceded you into this room. In order to free you from your position, you must spend the next year being less like yourself this upcoming year. You will simply have to be less strict."**

 **Seeing the dark expression on Snape's face, Hammond said "If you make a change and the Headmaster won't either pay you more or free you from your contract you can take this to court and the contract will be voided next summer."**

" **How much less?"** _ **Snape**_ **inquired. "I teach potions. All nice gets you are exploding cauldrons and students sent to the infirmary. I have statistics to prove my strict behavior has prevented students from being in danger."**

" **Let me be blunt, Professor Snape." Hammond said leaning forward and resting his palms on his desk as he moved to stand. "While I am aware of your teaching techniques, and the dangers of potions, your treatment of students from houses other than your own is the issue. These parents and even some of your former students are now eligible to sit on the board. How do you think these people would vote if it meant getting a little of their own back against your less than kind behavior?"**

" **Do you really think that one year will make any kind of a difference there?" Snape sneered.**

" **Maybe not, but we aren't going before them next year to get your contract voided to get you released. We are going to have to go in front of them to demand due remittance for your extra work. If they follow the letter of the law and agree that that is only fair, do you really think that the Headmaster will do what he is required. From what I see and what I am sure I will find, I sincerely doubt it. My educated guess is that the man will allow you to rework your contract at which time you may choose to walk away with no consequences."**

 **Snape nodded that he understood then finding a contract in front of him for legal services, read it and signed it. "Thank you for your help."**

" **You are welcome, now just a reminder sir. From the moment you leave this office** _ **,**_ **you must be the newer, nicer less abusive Severus Snape for this to work." Jacob Hammond warned as he exited the office just as his assistant returned.**

 **Shaking his hand, then telling him he would be in touch, Hammond watched as the man left then turned to his now returned assistant. "Please locate me a copy of the Board of Governors list for Hogwarts and a man who taught there this year by the name of Remus Lupin."**

" **Oh, the werewolf?" She asked with a slight sneer. "Why do you want him?"**

" **Ms. Davies, if you can't do your job without asking questions, you will be replaced. Now I suggest you locate this former Professor Lupin and then get me that list." He directed and went back into his office.**

* * *

 ****

 **Harry, Hermione and Ron were laughing** **and joking on the train with the owl that Sirius had sent to Ron to replace his former pet. They were making plans for the summer and discussing the upcoming Quidditch World Cup when Harry noticed that they were almost in London and that Malfoy and his goons had not paid them a visit.**

" **Wonder where Malfoy is?" He asked.**

" **Who cares?" Ron said rolling his eyes. "Maybe he has finally figured out he can't get the best of us."**

" **Maybe." Hermione said wearing a frown. She was sure that Malfoy not visiting meant the blonde would create some sort of scene at King's Cross station. Looking out the window, she saw gathering clouds and said "It looks like it is going to rain in a few minutes."**

 **Hearing the sound of voices, they looked up to see the twins entering along with Lee Jordan who was asking if they knew who was going to be Quidditch captain the upcoming year.**

" **Probably Angelina Johnson." Fred replied.**

" **We are sure it won't be either of us." George answered with a quick smirk. "Maybe Katie if not Angelina. Alicia won't want the position."**

 **Fred looked at the threesome and said "You know, it should be you, Harry."**

" **Me? Why? I am the newest member of the team." Harry pointed out.**

" **Yes, but you are a leader, the Gryffindor team tends to listen to you and we all know how good you are." George answered. "If not this year, you will be when you are a fifth year or sixth year."**

 **Ron protested that statement. "Harry doesn't know anything about Quidditch strategy. He is only the seeker."**

 **Harry gave Ron a sideways glance a bit surprised at his friend's rather negative tone.**

" **Ron, he has had some great ideas in practice. Even Oliver said so." George answered.**

" **Probably stuff I told him." Ron grumbled glaring at Harry. "Besides, I am going to try out for Quidditch now that Oliver has graduated. I talked to him about Quidditch all the time."**

 **George and Fred looked at one another then tried to change the subject but Ron kept going on and on about talking to Oliver Wood who had been signed to the Puddlemere United Team the day after Gryffindor had won the school cup.**

 **There was silence and Fred realized that Ron was waiting for a response so he said "Sorry was thinking about Oliver's new team. What did you say, Ron?"**

" **I said that I am the one who knows all about Quidditch and who has played it for years and years. Harry didn't play before he came to Hogwarts. So I was thinking that McGonagall would give the job to me when I join the team." Ron stated and this time he noticed his two brothers looking at each other then at him. "What?"**

" **Ron, don't take this the wrong way bro, but you are too lazy to be Quidditch captain." Fred replied not wanting to outright state his real reason. Yes, Ron play** _ **ed**_ **keeper when they played at home but it wasn't like they had a whole lot of other options. He was too hot tempered and too quick to quit when things didn't go his way to ever be captain and there was a good chance that if Harry wasn't captain he wouldn't make the team. They were also aware that Ron's grades even with Hermione's help were in the lowest percentage at Hogwarts for his year.**

 **Harry felt his face flush when Ron stood up, clenching his fists and turned on one of the twins and shouted "Harry is just as lazy as I am. Just ask Hermione."**

" **Leave me out of this Ron." She answered avoiding looking at any of them. "Remember, you think I don't know anything about Quidditch."**

" **You don't." He spat out as the train pulled into King's Cross station. Grabbing his trunk, without saying a word to anyone else, Ron stormed off the Hogwart's Express while Fred and George helped Hermione and Harry get their trunks off.**

" **Sorry Harry, but we, meaning the team were talking. Ron thinks that the keeper position is automatically his but we will be holding open tryouts next year. I have heard McGonagall, as Quidditch mad as she is telling Flitwick that her worst fear is Ron making the team." Fred said looking guilty as he told his brother's best friend the disappointing news.**

 **Harry silently nodded and looking at Hermione saw that she was eying him softly so he asked "You knew about this?"**

" **I sort of overheard Professor McGonagall and Professors Sinestra and Flitwick talking to Professor Lupin about Ron's grades. They are going to have a talk with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and if he doesn't start doing his own homework and stop relying on mine they will fail him next year." She admitted. "I tried to warn Ron this morning when I visited him while you went to get Hedwig but he says that she can't keep him off the team and that his grades aren't that bad."**

" **Oh man." Harry was quiet as they stood watching the Weasley family gathering around Percy who had graduated until an argument broke out again between the twins and Ron as they walked through the barrier. "I wish you had told me."**

 **Hermione looked guilty as she pushed her trolley next to Harry's through the barrier and once they were on the other side, she admitted "I didn't want to burden you with anything else. Do remember to take out the care package I gave you before your uncle locks away your trunk. And remember send me a letter** **via muggle mail if you need me. Please?"**

" **I will." Harry said softly. He hated that she knew how bad his summers were and how much he hated going home but there was nothing he could do about it. Looking around for his uncle, he didn't see the man or any other Dursley anywhere.**

 **Twenty minutes later after the platform had emptied out, he was beginning to think he should send an owl to Hogwarts when an austere tall woman approached him. "Did you remember to let your relatives know you were arriving today, Mr. Potter?"**

" **Yes, I guess they forgot." Harry lied almost positive that they weren't coming and not to upset by that. Maybe he could get a room at the Leaky Cauldron like he had last summer.**

" **Do you know how to get to your home?" She asked.**

" **Yes." He lied.**

" **Here, young man." Harry was handed a small vellum note card that was glowing. "It's a portkey. If things don't work out, it will take you to your proper home. If that doesn't help, it will take you to Hogwarts."**

" **Uh, thank you." Harry said. "May I ask are you some sort of new teacher or something?"**

" **No, I taught at Hogwarts long before you were born. I was just...unable to teach for a few years." The woman said holding out her hand. "You may call me Roe."**

" **Like the flower?" Harry asked. "My mom was named Lily after the flower."**

" **Roe, not Rose. I knew your mother from her time at Hogwart's. A very wonderful young woman. Such courage. She wasn't very happy with the sorting hat, much like your young friend Ms. Granger. She argued that she wanted to be in Ravenclaw but the hat always knows best."**

" **It wanted to put me in Slytherin. I had met a rather unpleasant boy who ended up in Slytherin." Harry admitted. "I asked for anywhere but there so it put me in Gryffindor."**

" **Young Harry, you would have done well in Slytherin." She said with a softer expression on her face. "You will be a great leader someday, Slyth** **erin would have helped you on your way because while your innate sense of fair play and courage is beyond compare, you have no sense of cunning that is also an important part of protecting those you care about. Oddly enough you remind me of another young man who persuaded the sorting hat to change what house he should have been in. I only hope that your adventure has a better beginning than his."**

" **Are you talking about Voldemort, or rather Riddle?" Harry asked with wide eyes.**

" **No, a much more recent student. He, like yourself met someone whose attitudes and beliefs caused a rift. By ending up in the wrong house, he was guided to the darkness but soon found himself back on the path to the light." She said then added "He made a horrible mistake but in the end, his bravery is why you are alive. He lives with the regret that his choices cost you your mother every single time he sees you."**

" **Please tell me you aren't talking about Peter Pettigrew?" He asked disgusted.**

" **No, nor any of the other Marauders." She replied. Seeing his shocked expression, she said "Their antics at Hogwarts were not the secret they supposed. We knew. We always know."**

" **Who then?" Harry asked curious about her mysterious way of speaking.**

" **You will find out on your own, young Harry. Now activate your portkey. Trust in its faith to take you to your rightful home." She said then walked back through the barrier to the Hogwart's Express platform.**

 **Harry found a private spot and making sure there were no cameras; read what was on the note card and thinking that he wished he was going anywhere but the Dursleys, said "Take me to four Privet Drive."**

* * *

 ****

 **In London, the Ministry janitor was guiding his cart towards the smaller meeting room for the Wizengamot to prepare it for the upcoming summer meeting session when the door wouldn't open.**

 **Taking a step back, Levy frowned and once again pushed on the door that normally swung immediately open. Nothing happened. Looking around, he shrugged and moved on to the next in size of the meeting rooms, only for the same thing to happen.**

 **Finally at the largest of the court rooms, the most formal, he pressed forward and once again the doors wouldn't budge. Taking out an interdepartmental memo, he wrote and folding the note sent it to his supervisor.**

 **Geoff, his supervisor took the lifts to the correct floor and was grumbling about having been forced to hire squibs for cleaning jobs as he went to where Levy was waiting. Muttering a simple alahomora, he rolled his eyes and said "See, this is why I didn't want to hire you."**

 **Levy pressed on the doors and when they didn't open looked at his boss who moved forward and pressed on the door. Nothing happened. Trying alohamora again, he frowned when it refused to open for him.**

 **Moving down the corridor, Geoff tried each of the doorways and only the ones leading to the bathrooms opened. Now wearing a dark scowl, Geoff sent out an interdepartmental memo of his own to his supervisor.**

 **Ten minutes later a sneering Undersecretary Delores Umbridge arrived in the corridor. Not even acknowledging the two lower level employees, she held out her wand and said "Alohamora."**

 **Nothing happened.**

 **The woman followed the same path as Geoff and once again the only doors that opened were those to the bathrooms. The woman sneered and sent a several more alohamoras at the main Wizengamot doors and finally, frustrated she sent a blasting hex at the door.**

 **The shock wave that came back at her sent the Undersecretary flying into the far wall and had not even marked the main double doors to the Wizengamot.**

 **Geoff watched as the short squat woman stood, her face beet red and her gun metal gray hair falling out of it's bun and knew that something was seriously wrong when she turned and ran towards the lift as fast as her short fat legs would allow her.**

" **Sir, what is going on?" Levy asked.**

" **I don't know but you go on up to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and work on that floor. Get Weasley's department cleaned up while you are at it." Geoff stated then walked back to the lifts. Taking them down to the Department of Mysteries, he asked to speak to someone and was soon seated across from a man wearing a dark cloak over his face. "You asked to be kept informed if anything strange happened."**

 **The man nodded and slid over a scroll and a quill.**

 **Geoff wrote down what had happened in the corridor outside the Wizengamot and went back to his office, sure that whatever was going on, it was none of his business.**

* * *

 ****

 **Severus Snape was currently dealing with an overexcited house elf at Prince Cottage. Nifty had been keeping the cottage in sparkling clean condition apparently waiting for her new owner to arrive and she had been thrilled when he had entered the large stone built keep.**

" **Master Severus must sit down and eat. Nifty will feed you." The elf announced and quickly popped out before Snape could refuse.**

 **Deciding that maybe he could eat a little something, Snape returned to the medium sized dining room and sat down waiting for the elf. He had toured the large house and it's outbuildings and found it to be practically perfect.**

 **There were four bedrooms upstairs, a large parlor, formal dining room, study and several more comfortable but informal rooms on the main floor. One of the connected outbuildings contained a fully functioning potions lab and a large conservatory filled with strange plants he didn't recognize.**

" **Here we are, Master Snape." Nifty said popping back into the room just as a feast settled itself onto the table in front of Severus.**

 **Looking at the dinner which consisted of ham, baked new potatoes, asparagus, and a crystal carafe full of what smelled like cognac, Snape thanked the house elf who smiled and informed him that she had torte for dessert then popped out yet again.**

 **Sniffing the cognac he had poured before taking a sip, Snape relaxed and began to plan his summer. He had just finished his meal when the chocolate torte appeared in front of him.**

 **Hogwarts and it's students were the last thing on his mind as he stuck his dessert fork into the torte, so why was he suddenly thinking he was seeing Harry Potter standing in front of him?**

 **Blinking rapidly, convinced he was imagining Potter, Snape ate a bite of the torte only for the apparition to begin to speak. "Sir, what part of Hogwarts is this?"**

 **Choking for a second, Snape took a sip of the cognac to wash down the cake and pushing his chair back from the dining room table stood and walked over to where his imagination believed Potter to be.**

 **Reaching out, he touched the boy's face and began cursing. "Potter what the hell are you doing in my home?"**

" **Sir? I thought I was at Hogwarts." Potter answered, the confused expression on his face making Snape want to scream. The boy was holding up a light blue piece of cardboard and staring at it like it held the answers.**

" **Why, Mr. Potter when you were put on the Hogwarts Express to return you home for the summer, would you possibly think that you were at Hogwarts?" Snape sneered.**

" **My relatives weren't at King's Cross when the train arrived. A teacher was there, she handed me this note card and said that it would take me to them." He replied. "She said that if it didn't, it would return me to Hogwarts."**

" **Did you even attempt to go home, Potter?" He asked wearing a sneer knowing that the boy's story was a lie, there was no way that a portkey would allow two destinations. Still, he wanted to see just how far the boy would go with his falsifications.**

" **Yes." Harry replied scowling at Snape. "I arrived in the back garden but there was no one home. The house was empty, not even any furniture. I looked around and saw that my uncle's car was also missing, so I asked the note card to take me to Hogwart's and that is how I ended up in your quarters sir. If you would just direct me to the corridor door, I will get out of here."**

 **Sneering, Snape lifted the notecard, inspecting it and to his surprise he saw that it was embossed with the symbol of Ravenclaw. "You may go when I am satisfied that you are finally telling me the truth, Potter."**

 **Hearing the boy muttering about being stuck spending the entire summer with him then, Snape growled and said "Let's start with your exit from the train."**

" **What do you want to know...sir?" The hesitation before the word sir, had Snape gritting his teeth.**

" **Where were your friends, Mr. Potter? How is it that they didn't notice that your relatives weren't there?" Severus was sure that Potter's sycophant friends had stayed to admire him as long as they could.**

" **Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were busy with their own children. They were having a party for Percy this evening." He replied not wanting this man to know that Ron had acted like a berk to him. "Hermione wanted to stay but I sent her ahead to her parents because I was sure that Uncle Vernon was just on the other side of the barrier."**

 **Snape was mentally berating Arthur Weasley who on orders from the Headmaster was supposed to make sure that Potter got home without any sort of an incident. Clearly the man had been derelict in his duties and not for the first time he thought, remembering the beginning of the Potter boy's second year stunt.**

" **Besides, like I said, this former teacher was there to help me." Harry tossed out that statement wanting to point out that he had gone to an adult for help like he was always being told to do.**

" **This teacher, who was she?" Snape asked still sneering at Harry.**

" **She was tall." Harry said then hesitated as he realized he didn't recall ever seeing the woman at Hogwarts.**

" **Mr. Potter compared to you, everyone is tall." Snape snidely commented.**

" **Well, she was tall, older, like almost forty." Harry stated. "She had light brown hair and she wore it in a sort of complicated bun. Her robes did look a little different than normal sir. She said she knew my mother so she either taught here then or was a student."**

" **How interesting." Snape drolly replied. "Now, I don't supposed you bothered to get anything as mundane as a name, Mr. Potter."**

 **Flushing a bit, Harry said "She told me to call her Rose."**

 **Snape began muttering curses about the stupidity of certain Gryffindors and how they only managed to live to graduation out of sheer dumb luck, when he had an idea. "Potter, if this note card can do as you say, take me to your relatives."**

 **Harry no more wanted to do that than he wanted to be best friends with Draco Malfoy but he could see how angry Snape was and some small part of him wanted to see what would happen when his Potion's professor actually met his uncle.**

 **First however, they would have to locate them.**

 **Harry took hold of the note card and saw that his professor had hold of the other end so he spoke out loud. "Four Privet Drive."**

 **To the shock of Severus Snape, unlike the usual turbulence that you got with Portkey travel, they arrived seconds later and after a smooth ride in the back garden of a two story attached home.**

 **Striding forward, he peered into the windows and saw no curtains, no furniture, no signs of life. He wanted to deny that this was the correct home but he had felt the wards as they entered.**

 **Using a silent unlocking charm, he strode in through the back door and said a point me spell. Tracking the spell up the stairs to a door with nine locks and a cat flap, Snape pushed the door open to find the room empty except for a few crude drawings and bars that were on the windows.**

 **Glancing at Potter who was standing silent next to him, he found that the spell wasn't finished. Tracking it back down the stairs and around the corner to what looked like a broom closet, Snape saw locks once again and when he opened the door, saw the paper that said Harry's room.**

 **Cursing, torn between the loathing he had for Potter and the knowledge of his mistreatment, Snape glared at the boy. "What about your watcher?"**

" **My what?" Harry asked sounding confused.**

" **The cat lady who is supposed to update the Headmaster regarding your life." Snape spat out annoyed at having to deal with this nonsense. "Where does she live?"**

" **Are you talking about Mrs. Figg?" Harry asked in shock. "She lives down the street. Are you telling me that she has kept the headmaster up to date regarding how I was treated and he did nothing?"**

" **I wouldn't know. I do know that she was put here to help keep an eye on you." Snape replied. Striding to the front door, throwing it open, he looked at Potter who was still standing next to the cupboard under the stairs and said "Let's go, Potter."**

 **A quick walk later, Snape was banging on the door. When it opened, he sneered at the woman and said "Arabella Figg?"**

" **Y-yes." The older woman said then seeing Harry standing near the man hesitated then invited him in. Once they were inside, she asked "Are you here about my report to the Headmaster?"**

" **What report?" Snape and Harry both asked in unison then the glared at one another.**

" **I sent him an owl this morning. I saw Petunia Dursley yesterday afternoon acting suspiciously, then this morning, I was tracking down one of my little darlings and I saw that the Dursley house was empty." She reported. "They had moved out in the middle of the night."**

" **Well, Potter, apparently your relatives have fled." Snape stated. "Let's go find the Headmaster and find out what he wants done with you."**

" **Wait!" Mrs.. Figg called out and then hurrying to her mantle picked up an envelope and said "This was taped to the door when I arrived at it."**

 **The envelope was addressed to Harry. The boy opened it and read what was inside. There was a short nasty note and papers signing away guardianship of Harry to... Harry's eyes bulged as they went to the man standing next to him. "S-sir...?"**

 **Snape took the offered note and snarled as he read.**

" **Boy- We have left and you are no longer our responsibility. Tell that old man that not even the money he paid was worth the hassle of dealing with you and your kind.-Vernon Dursley"** **There was a PS from Petunia. "Tell the old man that if he is so worried about you that I gave custody to that creepy friend of your mothers. He was a freak, just like you. His name is Severus Snape and lives at Spinner's End."**

" **Let's go Potter." Snape said then glaring at Mrs. Figg went to stand near the doorway. On the walk back to the former Dursley house, he looked at the boy and said "Tell me exactly what happened when you touched that note card again."**

" **I asked it to take me home to Hogwarts." Harry said tiredly. He hadn't slept well the night before and he felt like he had been running around all evening.**

 **Shaking his head, Snape waited until they were in the back garden and said "Repeat that now that we are in the same spot. Wait."**

 **Snape collapsed all but the blood wards which seemed to be surrounding the boy and said "Okay, lets get out of here."**

 **Seconds later they were back at Snape's Prince family cottage where Harry had left his trunk. "Touch your trunk."**

 **When Harry had done so, Snape apparated them to nearby the Hogwarts grounds, muttered a weightless and miniaturizing charm on Harry's trunk and empty bird card then had a thought. "Wait, where is that ruddy bird of yours?"**

" **I sent her with a note to the headmaster." Harry answered.**

" **I am shocked you had the forethought to do so." Snape muttered then looking at Potter said "Use that note card and ask it to send you to Hogwarts. It shouldn't work, as only the Headmaster can create portkeys for Hogwarts."**

 **To Snape's shock, they blinked and ended up in his personal quarters. Staring at Potter, then at the note card, he stuttered as he ordered the boy to follow him.**

* * *

 ****

 **Amelia Bones stood in the middle of the chaos and was considering hexing them all. The Minister of Magic was spouting babble, not that that was much different than normal but this time it seemed a lot more random.**

 **His Undersecretary Delores Umbridge was now a large pink colored toad and his secretary was now a yapping poodle. She had already sent a silencio charm at Rogards, tired of the barking noises.**

 **Looking at her young trainee, she asked "Tonks, what did you find out from the front desk?"**

" **Nothing, madam." She replied wearily. "Ma'am, there is something wrong with entrance to the Ministry."**

 **Her day only needed this, Amelia thought. "What are you talking about?"**

" **Ma'am, various members of the Wizengamot upon arriving are finding themselves summarily rejected and removed with prejudice." Tonks replied hiding her need to laugh.**

" **Could you please be more specific?" She asked.**

" **Mr. Lucius Malfoy upon responding to a summons from Minister Fudge was thrown from the floo into Thames, ma'am." Tonks said unable to hide the small smirk. "Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Rookwood as well when they used the phone booth entrance."**

 **Amelia winced, knowing that Lucius Malfoy's anger would be directed at the first ministry official he could find. And as of right now, she appeared to be the only one still with her right mind. A total fourth of her veteran aurors couldn't access the ministry, according to Croaker at least two of his Unspeakables couldn't get into the building.**

" **What is going on, here?" Rufus Scrimgeour asked as he entered the lobby.**

" **First, tell me what is going on at Azkaban?" Amelia asked.**

 **Shaking his head, Rufus answered "The Dementors are hiding in either the lower levels or have taken to sticking close to the prisoners who have dark marks."**

" **Do we know why?" Amelia asked.**

" **No, just that when they were ordered to return to Azkaban by Minister Fudge from Hogwarts, they were acting strange. Now the guards can't even get them to patrol the building. He has heard them moaning in what sounds like pain."**

" **I have never heard of the Dementors having the ability to make sounds other than that death rattle." Amelia replied. "Do you think that this has something to do with Black?"**

" **I have no idea." The man replied. "You should know, Rasputin LeStrange begged me to let him be put through the veil. His cell had two dementors in it and they refused to leave. His sister in law was begging me to take her confession so that she also could be put through the veil."**

" **Bellatrix was doing what?" Tonks asked speaking out of turn. Flushing when they looked her way, she said "My mom said that Bella was insane before Azkaban."**

" **I tend to forget you are related to those Blacks." Amelia said with a gentle smile at her favorite young trainee. "Rufus, why didn't they use Expecto Patronum to get them to leave."**

" **Mine is barely a wisp." The man reluctantly admitted. "None of the guards are capable either."**

 **Amelia found herself once again thinking about how badly trained even her best aurors were. Deciding to move on, she said "Rufus, we have had some trouble here while you were gone. The Wizengamot has sealed itself, the book of laws spontaneously combusted and destroyed all laws put in place since the war with Grindelwald. The Minister was attacked along with his assistant and Delores Umbridge."**

" **Are we at war and is Black behind this? Should we prepare for Death Eaters to invade the Ministry?"**

" **No, apparently they were already here and the building defended itself." Bones replied as she filled him in on the situation with people taking a swim in the river. She was rather relieved not to have to point out the common trait all of the above names had. Almost every single one of them had been suspected death eaters, that it now included a dozen of her aurors had her shaking in her boots.**

" **What about Macnair?" Rufus said. "When I was coming in, I was told you were here dealing with the suicide of that Macnair idiot."**

 **Shaking her head, she replied "I have Kingsley investigating but what I have learned so far was that Macnair arrived in the atrium, sat down in the middle near the fountain and when Jones arrived, he began confessing to his past sins then used his long blade to commit suicide."**

" **Who is in charge with Fudge out of commission?" Rufus asked wanting to know who his ultimate boss was.**

" **Barty Crouch." Amelia replied just as two of her blue robed aurors arrived. They looked rattled and she inwardly groaned. She recognized these two as the ones she had sent to get the man. "What is it? Where is he?"**

" **Under arrest, madam. When we arrived at his home, we found him imperioing a young man. When we went to write up the report, it turns out the victim wasn't much of a victim but an escaped prisoner named Barty Crouch Jr." Auror Thompson reported.**

 **Croaker approached and looking at Amelia said "You are now officially in charge and I hate to add to your burden but it seems like magical ghosts are being seen all over Britain."**

* * *

 ****

 **Hermione had just finished her welcome home dinner with her parents and was telling them about dropping Muggle Studies and Divination. "Anyhow, it was a lot of rubbish."**

" **I am glad you figured it out before the end of the year." Her mother was telling her as her dad turned on the telly so that they could catch the evening news. "So what about your friends, how are young Harry and Ron?"**

 **Hermione sighed then said "That is just it, something happened on the train..."**

" **Is this why you seemed so upset when you arrived?" Her father asked as he looked at the clock. Twenty five minutes until the news started.**

" **Yes, the boys were discussing Quidditch and Ron's brothers were talking about how the team captain graduated and who the new captain would be. They were going through the entire team and one of them said the new captain should be Harry."**

" **Are you upset about that?" Her mom asked.**

 **With wide eyes, Hermione said "No, I mean, I get why they think that. Harry is a natural leader, mainly because he doesn't want to lead but others tend to follow him. It's Ron that is the problem. There will be an empty keeper spot on the team this upcoming year and he seems to think that it will just automatically be his and he resented his brothers saying that Harry would be a good captain."**

" **He tried to take credit for some suggestions that Harry made to Oliver this year as well. The thing is, I was waiting to talk to Professor Lupin and I overheard some of the teachers talking and Ron might not even get to try out for the team because of his grades. I tried to tell him but he said that I didn't know what I was talking about and that our Head of House couldn't keep him off the team."**

 **Hermione continued "He was so dismissive of the thought that Harry might be captain but Harry has already been on the team three years. Ron seems to think that he should be offered the position and the captaincy just because he has known about Quidditch longer than Harry has. It's just that I don't like his attitude, Mom. He stormed off the train without even telling us good-bye then glared at me when I greeted you two."**

" **What does Harry say about the situation?" Her father asked.**

" **He didn't say anything except to wish I had told him what I had overheard the professors saying about Ron's grades." Hermione admitted. "See, Harry and Ron's homework grades are about the same but when it comes to practical application, Harry is tops with me most of the time and his test scores except in History are as good as mine. Ron doesn't know that because Harry always downplays his grades to him. I think he does that because of those miserable relatives of his."**

 **Just as Hermione began to speak she heard the sound of the theme song to her dad's favorite news program. Hermione wanted to listen, she found the everyday habits of her parent's lives to be relaxing when she was back home.**

 **The blond cheery guy telling the news went through the local political scene and how the PM Tony Blair was doing, then the economy before sending the mic to a reporter standing near the Tower Bridge.**

" **As you can see, Mark, I am on the lower boardwalk near Tower Bridge where today there have been several publicity stunts as more than two dozen people have seemed to jump off the bridge." With that the woman's camera panned to the bridge that crossed the Thames River.**

" **Why would anyone do that?" Hermione asked then blinked as she saw the earlier recorded footage now playing. Suddenly feeling uneasy and really wishing she had her own owl, she looked at her parents and said "Something is wrong in the magical world."**

" **Hermione?" Her dad looked at her and said "What is it, sweetie?"**

" **That man, the blond one with the long hair they just showed ending up in the water, I know who he is. Trust me when I say he isn't the sort to just jump off a bridge on a whim. More likely something is wonky in the magical world." Hermione said.**

 **The news camera showed a close up of Lucius Malfoy looking like a drowned rat moments before the screen went black then they heard and saw the perky female reporting again. "Unfortunately our cameras went down before we could ask the jumper why he did it. The police said that the man refused to offer up his name and ran away when they attempted to question him after assaulting an officer. If you have any information, please contact the Mayfair branch of Scotland Yard."**

 **Hermione sat back and stared at the newscaster as he went on to his other stories. After a channel break the news came back on and he ended the program on what he called a lighter note. "All over London today, ghost hunters have been reporting sightings of ghosts. The British Museum brought in famed Ghost Tracker Algeron Bletchley when the eighteenth century guillotine from Lyon, France began raising and lowering it's own blade. Patrons claimed to see a mustached man dressed in a costume from the eighteen hundreds who was trying to behead himself. One lady claimed that the ghost winked at her and tilted its partially disconnected head and spoke to her. Her very words... "The ghost told me it's was trying to remove its head to join the headless hunt."**

" **Nick..." Hermione moaned as she buried her head in her hands.**

" **Hermione?"**

 **Looking at her parents, Hermione said "Uh, the ghost, his name is Sir Nicholas Pondseby, we call him Nearly Headless Nick at school."**

" **You wrote to us about him. Something about attending his birthday party?" Her mom stated.**

" **His death day party." Hermione corrected. "Mom, I have to write to the Headmaster. I don't think he will understand but I have to try."**

 **With that, Hermione went to her room and pulled out some scroll paper and soon wrote a quick note to the headmaster then after a moment's hesitation added Professor McGonagall as head of Gryffindor if the Headmaster wasn't available.**

 **Looking at her list of nearby owlries, she was about to ask her mom to take her to Sudbury the next morning, when Harry's owl flew and landed on the tree outside her window. "Hedwig?"**

 **The owl stuck out his free leg, showing her the letter from Harry to the Headmaster and Hermione grinned at the snowy white owl. "You are so smart, Hedwig, thank you."**

 **With a hoot, the owl nipped at her fingers and flew off, carrying her letter towards Hogwarts.**

* * *

 ****

 **Poppy frowned when the house elf who delivered her dinner asked if she was aware that the ghosts had gone on holiday when she had mentioned how quiet the castle was.**

" **Sassy, when did this happen?" She inquired.**

" **They all left this morning after the students left, madam." Sassy said then asked if she needed anything else.**

" **Sassy, who else is remaining in the castle?" Poppy asked as she set aside the girls from Gryffindor's medical files.**

" **Professors Sinestra and Vector. Mister Filch, Mr Hagrid and I believe Professor Babbage is staying at the castle but went to Hogsmead for dinner." Sassy answered.**

" **Have you seen the Headmaster today, Sassy?" She asked, wondering what the man thought of all of the Hogwart's ghosts leaving the school.**

" **He didn't order dinner tonight, so Sassy hasn't seen him, Madam." Sassy replied then popped out while Poppy reached for Seamus Finagan's medical file.**

 **Poppy finished the Irish boy's file while eating her salad and had begun to eat her entree while going over the Longbottom boy's file. Finding a few questionable medical exams at St. Mungos, she made a few notes to speak to Neville about his magical control issues.**

* * *

 ****

 **Snape was not happy when they could not access the Headmaster's office. He had tried every single type of magical and muggle candy that he could think of and he was beginning to feel like the Headmaster was ignoring them.**

" **Sir, maybe we could ask Professor McGonagall." Harry suggested.**

" **Your Head of House is currently out of the country." Severus said in a flat tone as he debated tracking down Remus Lupin and making Harry his problem.**

 **They heard light footsteps and turned, knowing it wasn't the Headmaster but hoping that it was someone he could dump the problem of Harry Potter on, Severus was relieved to see Poppy Pomfrey.**

 **At least until she began to speak. "All of the ghosts?"**

 **To his knowledge, there had never been an instance where all the ghosts of Hogwarts had been out of the castle at the same time. Looking at Potter knowing that it was somehow related to his arrival at his new residence, Severus scowled at the boy.**

 **Hearing an owl, he looked up to see Potter's owl circling above them and then the raptor flew down and landed on the top of the gargoyle and stuck his leg out to Snape.**

" **Hey Hedwig. I guess you couldn't locate the Headmaster, huh?" Harry asked reaching out to pet his familiar. He saw the second letter and looking at Snape said. "Sir, there is another note on Hedwig's leg."**

 **Snape removed the note and saw that it was addressed to the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. When the bird leaned forward to peck, him, he heard Poppy pointing out that he was the next in line of authority.**

 **Reluctantly opening the note, Snape noted that it was from Ms Granger. Reading it and blinking as he began to comprehend what she was telling him, he muttered an oath and looked at Harry. "We have to go visit Ms. Granger. Leave your trunk. Poppy please have a house elf take his trunk to the guest quarters for now."**

" **Severus?"**

" **The magical world is at risk of exposure. Ms Granger as a muggleborn student saw it on the news. We must leave immediately. Please contact the Ministry and have Amelia Bones meet us there with some aurors." Severus said being grabbing Harry and telling him to take them back to Little Whinging.**

 **Once there, he called for the Knight Bus and once they were on it, he looked at Stan and ordered him to take them directly to Crawley with no stops in between. His icy glare stilled all protests and the pimply faced conductor quickly told Ernie to do so.**

 **Once at the door of the Granger home, Severus rang the doorbell and the door was quickly opened by a breathless Hermione who saw Harry with her potion's professor and frowned. "Sir"**

" **Let us in, Ms. Granger. The Headmaster and your Head of House are unavailable and I received your note." He stated and when they entered the parlor where Hermione's parents were still watching the news, he asked "Please tell me exactly what you saw."**

" **My dad taped it." Hermione said pointing to the black box on top of the television. Dad, this is my potions' professor, please show Harry and him what we saw."**

 **Dr. Granger was a little upset about the lack of proper introductions but he saw how intently the duo was watching the now started tape.**

 **Harry let out a small chuckle and heard his potions' professor laugh for the first time ever as they saw the drenched figure of Lucius Malfoy on screen. By the time they saw the short film about the ghosts, the smile had faded as Harry looked at Severus Snape and asked "What is going on, sir?"**

 **There was another knock at the door and Snape went to answer it, not noticing how the Grangers were staring at him in shock. When a young girl with pink hair tumbled inside, they heard him snap "Ms Tonks, I asked for your boss to come."**

" **Sir, Madam Bones sent me because things are rather a mess at the Ministry right now." She said looking at her former potion's professor and then at the two teens who were staring at her. With a wink, she said "Fudge had gone around the bend and the dementors are creating havoc at Azkaban."**

" **Well go back and tell her that the muggles are about to find out about magic. The Hogwarts ghosts are running rampant around Europe and Lucius Malfoy was seen on muggle television doing magic." Snape sneered.**

 **Her jaw dropping, Tonks looked at the man and then at the others. "Now is not the time to find your sense of humor, Professor Snape. Though, how did you know that Mr. Malfoy was ejected from the ministry?"**

" **Take me to your boss, now." Snape snarled.**

" **Uh, I don't think I can do that sir." She said clearly uneasy as she looked at the man. "Certain, uh wizards who have tattoos are finding it impossible to..."**

" **Merlin!" Snape swore and then looked at Harry and Hermione. "Fine, take them and I will go see if I can locate the Headmaster. Wait here and I will be right back. Potter, we need to go to Hogwarts."**

 **Harry sighed and held out his note and recited Hogwarts. They once again arrived in Snape's personal quarters. The man told him not to move and went to gather something then returning ordered him to take them back to Little Whinging.**

 **Once there, this time he apparated them to Crawley and the Granger living room muttering about how Albus had given him those years before. "Okay, Potter take one of these enchanted mirrors with you. Tonks take them straight to Bones. Ms. Granger, please stay with Harry."**

 **Tonks looked between her former professor and then with an embarrassed cough said "Sir, I can only side apparate one of them."**

" **Potter, go with her." Snape ordered.**

" **But Hermione knows more about..." Harry protested.**

" **Yes, but you are the boy who lived. You will get their attention much quicker." Snape pointed out. "Ms. Granger can help me."**

 **Tonks arrived in the Ministry and saw that the chaos was now at a manageable level. Knocking on the door of her boss's office, Tonk entered and said "Madam Bones, this is Harry Potter. He has something very important to tell you."**

" **Is now the right time for this?" Amelia asked Tonks who soberly nodded yes. "Fine, Mr. Potter what do you have to tell me?"**

" **Professor Snape, Hermione Granger and I just saw Lucius Malfoy on the muggle news and then the camera broke. Right after that, the Hogwarts ghosts were seen cavorting around England and Paris." He said looking the stern woman in the eyes. "Professor Snape is going to locate the Headmaster and sent me with a mirror to talk to you."**

" **Why didn't he come himself... Of course, he wouldn't be able to enter the building." She said with a shake of her head. "This mirror, what about it?"**

 **Harry handed the mirror over and within seconds the woman was speaking to Snape. "Where have you looked for the Headmaster?"**

" **We have just begun. I brought Ms. Granger with me to Hogwarts." Severus said. "What is going on in the Ministry?"**

 **Hesitating then looking over at Harry Potter, she answered. "The Wizengamot has locked the Ministry out and the book of laws has spontaneously combusted. Fudge is little more than a babbling idiot."**

 **When she saw him about to comment, she continued "His assistant is now a yapping poodle and the undersecretary is now a toad. Over fifty supposedly respectable citizens, including Ministry employees have been summarily ejected from the Ministry."**

" **So Crouch is in charge?" He asked.**

" **No, Crouch was arrested when we found him imperioing his dead Death Eater son at his home." She said wearily. "That is before we get to the mess involving Azkaban. Do you have any idea what happened to the dementors while at Hogwarts? They are according to Croaker, screaming in anger and pain at being denied their victims. We have prisoners begging us to put them to death. Two of the creatures have moved into Bellatrix Lestrange's cell. She is confessing to crimes going all the way back to her childhood."**

" **I am surprised they haven't kissed her." Snape said wearing a frown.**

" **Whatever happened, seems to have removed the dementors ability to do so." Amelia said shaking her head. "So what happened?"**

" **Black escaped. As far as I know, that's it." Snape said keeping what Harry did a secret. The Headmaster didn't want that to become public knowledge.**

" **Snape, do you have a list of who can perform the Patronus charm." She asked wanting help to solve at least one of her problems. "I need a few witches and wizards to help remove the creatures before my guards start taking their own lives."**

" **I can do it." Harry quietly said and saw the woman smile at him then look at Snape and ask him to send her an owl with the list. "Seriously, Madam Bones, I did it last week at Hogwarts. I sent my patronus across the Black Lake to..."**

 **Harry went silent as he realized he couldn't tell her what he had done, so pulling out his wand, he asked for permission to perform underage magic. When she did so clearly only indulging him and not expecting him to be able to perform the spell, he thought about how it had felt to fly on Buckbeak with Hermione and held out his wand and called out "Expecto Patronum."**

 **Snape cursed as he heard Potter's words and the sound of Amelia Bones and Nymphadora Tonks gasping out loud.**

" **Merlin." Amelia Bones was shocked at the corporeal patronus created by a teenager the same age as her niece. A spell that very few adults could perform to half that level. "I think you need to tell me everything, Mr. Potter."'**

 **Harry gulped and wished he had had the sense to keep his mouth shut. Trying to find a way out of it, he saw a man enter the office and tell the older woman. "I just finished with Crouch. I placed him in a cell but we have bigger issues. His son tried to fight his way out the trip to Akzaban and was killed by a muggle vehicle. He ran in front of it and made no attempt to stop."**

 **Shaking her head, Amelia looked at Rufus and requested he gather the list of ejected wizards and witches and come back to her office with it. Once he had left, Amelia told Harry. "I am the temporary Minister. Anything you tell me goes no further than this room and you or anyone else will not be facing charges for what I hear."**

 **Harry sat down and with a sinking heart, began his story of what had happened his third year by only telling her what he considered important, he soon arrived at Hermione and him using the time turner.**

 **When he was finished, Tonks and she were both staring at him like he was lying and Harry was beginning to regret being that honest only for her to pull out the mirror and call out to Snape. "Where is Remus Lupin?"**

" **We just got into Minerva McGonagall's office. I will get you his address in a minute." He said and then after looking through a file gave her the werewolf's address.**

" **Stay on the mirror." She ordered then turned to Tonks and ordered her to retrieve the former professor. "I am hoping he can help us with the Azkaban problem."**

 **Once Tonks had left, she requested that Snape hand the mirror to Ms. Granger and soon had verified that the young woman had been given a time turner. Once that happened, she wanted to hear how this had happened.**

 **Snape told the woman he would be right back and Harry rudely interrupted the woman and demanded to speak to Hermione.**

 **With wide eyes, Amelia carefully handed over the mirror and listened to the duo have a rather coded conversation then the girl's eyes lit up and she called out for one of the Hogwart's house elves.**

 **Having it take her to Harry's trunk, she opened it and found what Harry had reminded her about. "Harry, you are brilliant. Absolutely, positively brilliant."**

" **Would you care to share what you are talking about, Ms. Granger?" Amelia asked as they heard her asking the house elf to return her to their Head of House's office.**

" **Not just yet, Madam." Hermione said as she called out Nox to turn off the mirror. Running at full speed through the halls, she found her potion's professor right where the map told her he was located. "Sir, Harry's map."**

 **Holding it out, she breathlessly said the code phrase and spread the map across the stone floor as she knelt next to it. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."**

" **Why am I not surprised?" Snape muttered as he read what the map wrote on the front of it. When it said that it welcomed prongslet's smart friend, he blinked at comment but was soon busy reading what it began showing them.**

 ****

 **Holding out her wand, Hermione said "Point me to the Headmaster."**

 ****

 **Nothing happened and Snape was about to make a snide comment but the map pointed out with a bold script. "Deputy Headmaster Severus Snape.**

" **What the hel..heck?" Snape said blinking in shock. "I think that this map is broken.**

 **Hermione scanned the map, finding with all of the students gone and the ghosts missing. There was only the house elves who didn't appear on the map and a few teachers. "Madam Pomfrey is pacing back and forth in the Infirmary. I don't see anyone but us on here sir."**

 **A few seconds later, the map showed someone walking out of the fireplace to join Madam Pomfrey. The title on the map had Hermione trembling as she looked at the man on the other side of the map. "Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. Sir what does this mean?"**

" **I don't know, Ms. Granger but we should join them." He replied in a sober tone as they went to join his colleagues. Without saying a word when they arrived, he spread out the map and pointed out what it said. "I think we need to figure this out."**

 **Minerva looked at the astounding map and at the odd duo showing it to her and then at Poppy. "I have to see if the gargoyle will yield to me."**

 **The quartet walked to the corridor and she requested admittance. When the door opened and the staircase appeared, Poppy let out a sob as they walked up the stairs.**

 **Opening the door, they were expecting at the most to find the dead body of the Headmaster but before they could even comprehend, they heard. "Well this is rather rude of them, isn't it. Godric?"**

 **Severus and Minerva felt weak at the knees as their eyes took in the very two men whose portraits were in their offices. Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin in living color were seated at a round table in what was normally the Headmaster's office.**

" **Oh merlin." With those words, Poppy passed out and was caught by Hermione Granger who was the only person who didn't know the two men.**

* * *

 ****

 **Nyphmadora Tonks knocked on the rather abused thick oak door and when it opened she looked at the tired looking man standing there and asked "Are you Remus Lupin?"**

 **"Yes." He replied after a moment's hesitation.**

 **"Thank goodness." She replied sounding relieved. "I need you to come with me. It's regarding Harry Potter and his ability to perform the patronus charm. He said that you taught him and the Ministry rather needs your help at the moment."**

 **Noticing the man's uneasy expression and recalling that he was a werewolf, she said "I don't really have time for this, but I swear you are not in trouble. Look, things are a bit crazy right now. We have had several suspected death eaters ejected from the Ministry and end up on muggle television, the ghosts from Hogwarts are running amok in the muggle world, the book of laws has spontaneously combusted and the Minister is a babbling idiot."**

 **When a slight smirk appeared on Lupin's face, she said "No, that isn't a colorful expression to describe Fudge, he really is babbling nonsense, his secretary is a poodle, his Undersecretary is now a toad and the next in line for the job is under arrest for holding his supposedly dead son under the imperio curse for at least five years."**

 **"What could I possibly do to help you?" He asked.**

 **"Oh, I forgot to mention, the dementors have moved into cells with some of the prisoners, are moaning in pain and the guards assigned there are now suicidal. This seems to have started when they were sent back to the island from Hogwarts. The Headmaster is missing as well." She recited.**

 **"Let me just grab a cloak." Remus said, the news about the Headmaster catching his attention. Once they were out of his wards, she apparated them directly to the entrance for the Ministry and they were given priority over the others in line.**

 **Remus followed her out the lift and down the hallway, they didn't even stop at the guard desk and they were soon in front of the open door to Amelia Bones' office.**

 **"Minerva, please repeat that, I must have misunderstood you. I would have sworn you told me that Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were in the Headmaster's office." She said. Looking up the temporary Minister waved the duo in and mimicked closing the door.**

 **Harry gave a tentative wave to Remus Lupin who moved over to stand next to James and Lily's son. Noticing the mirrors, he smiled at the memory of how they were created and that there were being used.**

 **"YOu did not misunderstand, Amelia." Minerva replied. "The founders have returned and they are demanding several people join them at a gathering they wish to have here at the school. In fact, they are holding magical Britain hostage until we do so."**

 **"Is this some sort of prank?" Amelia asked.**

 **"No, in fact, they said that you have the perfect way to be assured that it is true with you. It was suggested that you take Mr. Potter to see the picture of the founders that is kept in the smaller Wizengamot courtroom. That the doors will open at his touch."**

 **A small parade of people walked to the courtrooms, Amelia, her Head Auror Rufus, Harry with the pretty auror who kept asking him about his school year, Remus with Dawlish and Kingsley Shacklebolt and in the last grouping, two unspeakables.**

 **When they arrived at the courtroom's double doors, Amelia then Rufus attempted to enter then she stepped back and said in a terse tone "Mr. Potter if you would please?"**

 **Harry felt all eyes on him as he pressed the handles and the doors flung wide open. Walking down the center steps, he was soon standing by the secondary entrance as a portrait appeared.**

 **"Merlin!" There was a small gasp then the female auror said "I thought that was only seen by the Minister and the Chief Warlock."**

 **"Apparently not today." Dawlish muttered as he stared in awe at the portrait of the Hogwarts founders.**

 **"Hello, Mr. Potter. Did you find your true home?" The stern witch in the painting asked.**

 **"My family wasn't on Privet Drive, then the portkey thing took me to my Potion's professor's house and then Hogwarts, no, it didn't take me home." Harry replied. Frowning he asked "How if you are in a painting did you help me at King's Cross."**

 **"Magic." She replied with a wink.**

 **Harry giggled in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "So, you are really one of the founders?"**

 **"Yes, I am Rowena Ravenclaw, young Master Potter." She replied.**

 **"Roe, not Rose. I am sorry." He apologized for his mistake.**

 **"No matter, young Master Potter." She said with a softening of her expression as she looked at the small teenager. Her eyes went to the adults who were staring at her painting clearly dumbstruck. "Now is this enough proof for you or would you require more?"**

 **They all seemed to nod as one that it was enough. "Now, I suggest that you obey the summons and appear tomorrow morning at Hogwarts. We will rein in the ghosts as long as you agree to cooperate, if you don't, well, statue of secrecy be damned."**

 **"What about those who can't get into the Ministry?" Dawlish asked.**

 **"They befouled themselves by bowing to a maniac. They will not be allowed back into the building or anyplace we can control the magic of." A dark voice announced then a man whose satrine features reminded Harry of his Potion's master was shown.**

 **Dawlish went silent as he realized who the man was.**

 **"You have until eight in the morning to bring the following witches, wizards and creatures to the Great Hall at Hogwarts. If you fail, well we will show you why we were so feared." Salazar announced.**

 **The dark wizard looked at the most powerful wizard in the room and said "That also goes for the grim in hiding. We will be ensuring his safety for the immediate future."**

 **Harry was feeling nervous as he understand that they were speaking of Sirius, but that all changed to fear when Madam Bones asked. "Would you please fix whatever it is you did at Akzaban? The dementors have run amok."**

 **"What is this Akzaban you speak of?" Salazar asked.**

 **"A magical prison created about a hundred years ago in the North Sea." Remus replied. "Dem**

 **"What happened to the dungeons under the Ministry and the Veil of Death if their crimes are so terrible that they are being guarded by the soul suckers?" Salazar asked. He was beginning to see what Rowena and Helga were going on about.**

 **When Rufus began to speak, Salazar waved him off midway and said "We will deal with this tomorrow, but as to what happened, I rather fear that that was Mr. Potter's doing."**

 **"My doing?" Harry asked surprised, never noticing the others were looking at him in shock.**

 **"When you chased them away from your friends, your patronus was infused with not only a happy memory but the goodness of your soul and the power that will be yours after you mature, young Master Potter." Salazar announced. "Your mother's magic combined with your father's created a very strong magical child. It's why we have been attempting to watch over you during your time at Hogwarts. Unfortunately do to the meddling of others, we have been unable to do as much for you as we have wished."**

 **"B-but he is a mere halfblood, surely you..." Dawlish stuttered in shock, the history of the belief that Salazar hated muggles so engrained he didn't even think before he spoke.**

 **"That nonsense... started by rumor, no one ever asked me the truth." Salazar said, his icy tone surprising all of them. "I didn't hate non magical wizards or witches, just the danger they brought to our world when we didn't bring them in earlier enough. The truth has been lost to lies and the dark agenda of others, most not worthy of the magic they have."**

 **There was silence as the four in the portrait disappeared, then Dawlish looked at his boss and asked "Madam, what do we do about Azkaban?"**

 **"Right now, that is the last of our issues. Gather as many of your co-workers as you can. We have some invitations that can't be refused to send out." she grimly replied then looking at the teenager standing next to the werewolf, she thought about what he had been told and said "If I am correct in my deductions, you might happen to know the location of a certain escaped prisoner. If so, please inform him that he is to be given safe passage and for him to get his rear to Hogwarts as soon as possible."**

 **Harry gulped at her tone then gave a small nod before exiting the room with Professor Lupin. In the hallway he looked at the man who seemed shell shocked and asked "Do you think I am in trouble?"**

 **"Harry, you are a Potter, while I doubt you are in trouble, I rather fear that you are in the middle of this whirlwind and that until we get answers, the best thing to do is go with the flow, until it is no longer time to do so." Remus stated.**

 **"How will we know when that is?" Harry questioned.**

 **"We just will." Remus grimly replied as he escorted the last Potter to the lifts, intending on sending out an owl immediately to Sirius.**

 **TBC, Maybe**


	6. Promptly Written

**016.**

A/N: This one turns the whole HP Universe on it's head. To Begin with Riddle is Minister and a good guy plus Bella rescues Harry. 

**Promptly Written**

Chapter One Prompt: Evidence 

Eight year old Harry James Potter finished the muggle candy bar and got rid of the evidence before his fat cousin could find him. Looking at the clock tower in the center of what passed for downtown Little Whinging, the boy noticed that it was almost noon and headed home. His aunt and uncle had ordered him out of the house immediately after he had eaten his first breakfast that he could ever recall getting in their home.

He was told to be back by one, and not to speak to anyone while out, which Harry had obeyed. He had spent most of the morning hiding in the library from his cousin who was told to spend the day with his friends. Dudley had spent most of the morning hanging around with the rest of his gang, but since they were not the sort to go into a place full of books, he had remained hidden from their games of Harry hunting.

Then when he had been leaving to return to Privet Drive as ordered, he had been handed a twenty pound note from Mrs. Figg and told that his uncle had said for him to remain gone even longer. Harry was nervous regarding the funds, the Dursleys never gave him money, but he had done as ordered, too scared not to.

* * *

On Privet Drive, a nervous Petunia Dursley lied to the woman sitting across from her. Looking at her husband, she pretended that her nephew was a beloved member of her family and that he often forgot when he was supposed to be home.

In truth, she loathed the freak, but the woman sitting across from her was a witch, a woman who had shown up and demanded to see the freak. Petunia didn't want to keep the boy, she would have gladly sent him off with this woman, but the older wizard who had dropped him off all those years ago on their doorstep had visited them a few months earlier and had made it very clear that no matter what, Harry was not to be seen by anyone in their world but him.

He had given her funds, told her that they would come monthly but only as long as Harry lived with them. When the letter had arrived, she had been sure that she could avoid this interview and had managed to do so for several weeks, but yesterday a someone had rang her on the phone and said that if she wasn't there when they arrived, they would remove the freak from her home and she couldn't allow that to happen.

No, they needed that money. So the night before, her husband had hid all evidence that things weren't perfectly normal at her house and they fed the boy breakfast, just in case before ordering him to get out of the house for the day. Once he was gone, her husband had cleaned the cupboard under the stairs out of all traces of the freak and they had stuck several pairs of boots and brollies in it to make it appear as if it was in use as a closet.

The witch across from the muggles struggled not to sneer at the fat slob and his wife, sickened at the knowledge that they were in any way related to a magical family. Oh, she had read their minds the minute she had knocked on the door. She knew their secrets, all except one, the location of the boy who lived.

What they didn't know and that she did was that the man bribing them to take care of the boy had died a rather inagmonius death two days before. Evidence found in his office had rocked the foundations of the magical world to it's core. She was given the priority of locating and rescuing the boy who lived. They knew that there was a squib by the name of Arabella Figg nearby and that she was part of one of the biggest conspiracies ever formed in the magical world.

The witch knew it was imperative to locate the Potter boy before Sirius Black regained his strength, that if they didn't, he would come to Little Whinging and secrecy statue or no secrecy statue, would tear this town apart to locate his godson.

* * *

Across town, a very angry and dark wizard had just arrived in Little Whinging after being freed by the Ministry. They had found evidence that he had not been a part of the crimes being committed. That he had been in fact manipulated for years by the Headmaster but they had wanted to verify the truth before allowing him to roam free.

On his way out of the cell, he had heard the name Ms. Figg and knew EXACTLY who and where the witch lived. He had used a tracking spell to locate her and had arrived to locate the son of his late best friend. He wanted to see for himself, wanting for somehow all that he had learned to be a lie, because otherwise, that meant that he had given up six and a half years of his life for no reason.

Locating the squib, he followed her around the mundane little town she lived In. Stops at the grocers, the pharmacy and finally a stop at the library. He didn't go inside the building but remained outside, knowing he wasn't appropriately dressed to fit in.

Just as he was about to give up, he saw the woman exiting the building with a small dark haired boy. He watched her hand him money and then scurry away. The wizard then watched the young boy look at the money with a puzzled expression on his face then head straight to the pharmacy where he bought a chocolate bar and then ate it, looking amazed about something.

Using magic, the wizard meet the little boy's eyes and read the boy's mind howling inside in anger as he realized that what he had been told was the truth and that this small boy had been abused and overworked by those whose job it had been to protect him.

Watching over the boy as he wandered town and helping him avoid the oversized bullies that seemed to be trying to track him, he watched and waited as eventually the boy turned towards the street upon which he lived.

* * *

Harry James Potter sat on the sofa for the first time in his life and tried to take in what the woman sitting across from him was saying. "So, my parents didn't die in a car crash and weren't drunks?"

"No, Harry, your parents were murdered by a power hungry man who saw your father as standing in the way of his own rise to greatness. Many, many people were manipulated and lied to, your parents included. I have come to take you home to our world."

"Now see here, the boy isn't going anywhere." The fat slob on the sofa protested.

"Who is going to stop me from taking him? You?" The witch gave a nasty chuckle and said "I can't wait to see you try and stop me. You should know, Dumbledore is dead, the funds are at an end and you two are going to be facing charges of theft, kidnapping a minor and abuse. I suggest that you sit down and shut your gob. Harry's godfather is already looking for someone to make pay for the crimes committed against your godson and when I show him what I found out, you two will be wishing you had died."

With that the witch held out her hand to Harry and said "Do you have any toys at all?"

"No, no madam, none." Harry said softly, looking down at his feet, ashamed at how pathetic his life was.

"No matter, I am sure that you will soon have all the toys and the new clothes that a boy of your station needs. Not desires, because we don't want you to turn into a spoiled brat, do we?" The dark haired witch asked. "No, that wouldn't help anyone would it, Harry James Potter."

The small boy smiled timidly at the woman who chuckled when she saw the beautiful emerald green eyes staring back at her. "Harry, I am your godfather's cousin, but you can call me Aunt Bella."

With that, she exited the house holding his hand and then turned and using her hidden wand started a small fire that would cover all evidence that Harry James Potter had ever existed in the muggle world. If the humans got out, she didn't care one way or another. After what they had done to a wizard child they deserved every single bad thing that would happen to them.

Arriving in the main lobby of the Ministry, after having been driven there by a muggleborn wizard in a estate car, she saw Harry's eyes widen as he took in everything he could see. Entering the door marked Minister for Magic, she said "Mr. Riddle, I have Harry Potter with me."

"Wonderful job, Bella. Might I suggest that you take him to see your sister Andromeda after I speak to him for a few minutes?" The handsome older man behind the desk said.

Bella Lestrange who upon the death of her husband was now Bella Black again, agreed, hoping that Andromeda and she could come to an agreement about who would be doing what regarding her cousin Sirius' godson and heir.

Exiting the office, leaving Harry with the Minister she went to speak to Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. "What you found in the office was right, the Potter boy was living in deplorable conditions. I am taking him to St. Mungos when I leave here."

Amelia Bones nodded grimly and said "I was hoping that the evidence was wrong. Merlin help us, if this part of Dumbldore's journal was telling the truth about his plans and crimes, what if the rest of them are true?"

 **Chapter Two Prompt:** **I'm Here**

Harry was lead into a large building that he was told was a magical hospital. The dark haired witch led him to the lifts and when they arrived on the correct floor, they were soon in a waiting room that had some patients with the strangest of injuries Harry had ever seen.

Noticing the boy staring, Bella gave his shoulder a small squeeze then leaned down and said "When less powerful wizard's don't perform magic correctly this is what happens. It is why when you go to Hogwarts, you need to be a studious pupil."

"Wait, I am a wizard?" He asked looking astounded at the news. "Really?"

She chuckled but inwardly was truly hoping that the fire she started ended the lives of the worthless muggles living inside. "Yes, a damn powerful one if what we learned this week is to be believed. It's why you were kidnapped and taken from our world."

"Bella?" They heard the soft soprano voice calling for the witch.

"I am here, Andromeda, with Harry." She said as they moved to join the witch whose looks were similar enough to the first witch for Harry to be looking between them to compare differences. "Harry, this is my sister, Andromeda. She is a witch who heals."

"Wow, a real witch doctor?" He asked his eyes going wide as he looked at the woman wearing light green robes and carrying a wand.

Andromeda nodded and said "We are called healers, Harry. Now let's go get you checked out and then there is someone who is really eager to meet you. In fact, he has been asking for you every five minutes in spite of being ordered to go to sleep."

"Does the mutt need some discipline?" Bella asked with a lilt to her tone as she seemed to look forward to the idea of meting out the discipline.

"Nope, I simply ordered him to heel when I left." The other witch said as she guided Harry to a exam room. "However, if you could go and tell him that Harry is here, it might save the mediwitches some headaches."

"Bella?" The man in the bed looked aged in spite of only being twenty eight years old. The result of having spent six and a half years in Azkaban after being found guilty of the death of the Potter family including it's heir. "I thought Andromeda told me you were going to get Harry?"

"I did and he is getting checked out, Siri. He was living with muggles. Lily's sister and her obese husband. The more we look into the matter, the clearer it becomes that the journals were true. Thank Merlin for McGonagall." Bella said with a slightly sarcastic tone. Yes, she was grateful for the new Headmistress of Hogwarts help but her blind devotion to the wrong man had almost cost their world everything.

* * *

Harry watched every single move that the witch doctor, rather healer made as she explained what she was going to him. When she had finished, she used her wand to bring several different vials of strange liquid to her then she said "Okay, Harry. This first one will fix all of the bones that have incorrectly healed. It is going to tingle for a bit, but afterwards you will feel a lot better."

Sniffing the potion, he wrinkled his nose and then promptly did as required. When it didn't taste bad, he said "I thought it would taste as bad as it smelled and looked."

"Rather counterproductive for the potions to taste bad Harry, the patients wouldn't want to take them otherwise." She said with an amused laugh. Handing him the next one, she said "You might want to remove your glasses before taking this one. You won't need them anymore."

"Really?" He asked then hastily drank the potion. He felt the same tingling as the earlier potion, this time it made him want to sneeze which he immediately did. When finished, he looked at her and was upset at how blurry she was. "I don't think it worked."

"Try removing your glasses, Harry." She said in a dry tone then laughed when the boy flushed and finally did as she had suggested. When he gave her a wide grin she asked "Better?"

"Excellent." He replied then seeing two more potions asked what they were for?

"This one is going to be something you take once a week for a while, until you are up to what should be your correct weight and height." She said handing him the orangish colored potion.

Harry drank it but gagged. Noticing the healer frowning, he struggled to control the urge to throw up and said "It's way too sweet."

With that, her frown went away and she pointed her wand at him and performed some sort of spell that had the taste gone from his mouth and he no longer wanted to throw up. "I wasn't thinking. Maybe we should try the tasteless version of the nutrition potion."

Harry used a bit more caution to drink the newest potion and was relieved when it stayed in his stomach. Noticing the last potion, which was steaming and clearly from the way it was sloshing around in the vial something very different, he asked "What does that one do?"

"I rather fear that a dark wizard has bound your magic. This is going to release it in you and will remove the various spells and hexes that I see he performed on you when he stole you away from your godfather after murdering your parents." She said with a tearful expression on her face. She handed Harry the potion and said "This is going to feel fine at first, but depending on how powerful you are, this might sting a bit."

Harry swallowed the potion and they waited. Five minutes later, Andromeda frowned then looked at her chart and then at Harry. "How do you feel?"

"Are you sure that I have magic?" He asked with a shrug. "That didn't hurt a bit."

Her jaw dropping, Andromeda felt something click in her mind then she sank onto a seat across from the young boy. "I think we just discovered why you were kidnapped."

"Because I am not magical?" Harry asked.

"Rather the opposite I am afraid." She said. "If you had been a squib...

Seeing his confusion, she said "A child without magic born to magical parents, taking this potion would have been excruciating. It's rather clear you are going to be a very powerful wizard someday, Harry Potter."

"I think you have the wrong boy." Harry replied.

"Well, magic disagrees." She answered back. "Now, let's go meet your godfather before he spreads germs in my hospital by sending his dog to look for you."

"You let dogs in magical hospitals?" He asked his eyes wide at the thought. He had always wanted a pet dog, but had also known that the Dursleys would never allow it to happen. Heck they didn't treat him well enough let alone would have allowed him a pet.

"Not all dogs, only this rather particular bad puppy is allowed in." She replied messing up his hair and thinking that it would be interesting to watch the battle between her sisters over who got to mother this motherless boy.

Andromeda heard the commotion the moment they were on the correct ward and said "Oh dear."

Before she could explain, Harry found himself on the ground with a very large black dog pinning him to the ground and licking his face. The dog seemed so thrilled to see him, he didn't have the heart to tell him to get off, especially since the witch who had rescued him seemed to be getting smacked around by the wildly wagging tail.

"Bad Padfoot." The healer was saying as she struggled not to laugh at the scene of the small boy being licked to death while her sister was desperately trying to evade the tail smacking her in the face. "Bad Paddy, now let the nice boy go."

When this continued for several moments, Harry was laughing so hard he was almost ready to pee his pants when suddenly he heard a new voice, this one not as happy. "Sirius Orion Black, get off that poor boy before he catches a cold."

The dog lifted his head and Harry looked up to see a pretty blond woman wearing robes and standing next to a blond man and boy had her hands on her hips and was glaring at the dog licking him. "If you don't want me to have you fixed, get up, immediately."

The dog gave Harry one more quick lick, then hastily scrambled off of him to stand nearby. The witch who had told him to call her Aunt Bella reached down and helped Harry stand.

"Now is that in any way shape or form the proper way to greet your godson, Sirius Black?" The blonde asked the dog. "You should be ashamed of yourself behaving like a wild animal. Now return to your hospital room, I am quite certain that Harry intends to visit you in there."

When the dog with it's head hanging low and it's tail between it's legs followed her orders, Harry felt bad as it clearly looked upset. Swallowing the lump in this throat at how down the dog looked, he looked at the healer who was rolling her eyes and asking "Was that really necessary Cissa?"

"I read the report, I know what that poor boy has been through. Both of them." She answered with a subtle tilt of her head towards the hospital room. "Now let's go properly introduce Harry to his godfather. Lucius, take Draco and find both of the boys something to eat, please."

When the tall silent blond man simply replied yes dear and left, Bella said "There are times when I fear that the wrong wizard is kept on a leash."

"There are metaphorical leashes that do the job as well as physical ones." The blonde woman said then she looked at Harry and smiled. "I am sure that a lot of this is rather confusing to you. Let's go greet your godfather and I will explain why I was so rough with the poor dog."

 **Chapter Three Prompt: Yogurt**

Harry woke up in the fluffy bed, his head buried in the softest pillows he had ever felt in his life. Lying there for a few minutes, his mind reeling from the changes he had experienced in a mere day.

Yesterday, his bedroom had been a cupboard under the stairs in his Aunt's house. A house where he was mistreated and forced to do all the chores and fed very little.

Yesterday afternoon, a woman had shown up, taken him with her to what was clearly a government office where he had spoke to an older man, er wizard(?) who had asked him a few questions, then had sent him to the hospital with the same witch who had removed him from his aunt's house. The same witch who had told him the truth about his parents and had promised to fill him in on the rest of the story.

At the hospital he had met another witch and had had his first physical in his life that he could remember. He had been fed potions to heal his aches and pains, would not need glasses anymore and had met the man who his parents had appointed as his godfather.

While meeting his godfather, the wizard had turned into a large black dog, the other wizards telling him that no, they didn't have the same ability. He had spent the next few hours getting to know his godfather who had told him how the same bad wizard who had sent him to live with the Dursleys had sent his godfather to prison to keep him from discovering what he had done with Harry.

By the end of the day, the blonde witch with the husband and boy had left, the boy promising to tell Harry all about what children did in their world before going home. Harry had wanted to stay with his godfather but had obeyed the suggestion that he go home with the woman who had told him to call her Aunt Bella.

Harry had done so and had been taken to a huge house in the center of London where he had been introduced to a creature called a house elf named Kreachure. Kreachure had led him to this room, removed his clothes with a disdainful expression on his face after giving him some of the nice pajamas he had ever owned.

"Oh, you're awake." Harry looked at the woman in the doorway, her hair looking a lot like the muggle stereotype of the crazy witch. She grinned at him and then said "I have to shower and prepare for my day. Sirius is going to be coming home today, so you have a choice. Would you prefer to stay here with him or go spend the day with Draco?"

"W-would anyone be upset if I simply stayed here?" Harry asked.

"No, no one would. Draco will probably ask again when he arrives, he has been rather eager to meet you." She said with yawn. "Now, when you are ready for breakfast... no wait, let's simply call for him. Kreachure?"

When the odd little elf appeared, she said "Please bring Harry a breakfast like what I normally eat. Give him a light lunch and no matter what Sirius says, no greasy foods or too many sweets. I will be back later, after the funeral."

"Funeral?" Harry repeated.

"Yes, the man who harmed my head of house, Sirius and yourself is being buried today. I am attending on orders of the Minister who is very interested in finding out who else was part of the conspiracy to control your family estate." She replied as she walked further into the room and tucked the comforter around him. "Now it is merely seven in the morning, finish your breakfast and then take another nap. Andi says that you are not getting enough sleep."

Harry's face flushed when she leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek before exiting the bedroom. The house elf popped in and placed a heavy tray on the bed next to him.

His eyes went wide as Harry took in the wide assortment of food on it. "Is all of this for me?"

"Yes, now eat Heir Potter." The house elf ordered then popped back out.

Harry took a small spoonful of the creamy looking dairy product that he identified as yogurt. Moaning at how good it tasted, he ate one of the berries in the small bowl next to it and a bite of the toast. Before he knew it, he was drinking the milk to wash down the huge meal he had just finished. He had no sooner wiped his mouth on the cloth napkin and the house elf popped back in and removed the tray.

Not sure what to do, but noticing that it was eight, he sighed and wiggled back into the pillows and pulled the comforter up with the intention of obeying the orders of the witch who seemed to be in charge of everything.

 **Chapter Five Prompt: Funeral**

Bella arrived at the small patch of dirt where Aberforth Dumbledore had chosen to bury his later brother in what would be an unmarked grave. His brother had had very grandiose plans in his will requesting he be buried at Hogwarts, had even described the large marble tomb he had wished to be encased in and what was to be written on the headstone.

The arrogant former Headmaster, former Chief Warlock had even planned out who would speak at his funeral and in what order. Thanks to the man's former Deputy Headmistess, he was lucky that they were having a service at all.

A very angry McGonagall who after they had removed the obliviations, had been more than eager to simply use a simple fire to dispose of the man she had once revered. She had only been pacified by the love of her life when he had sensibly pointed out that without the very public spectacle that they were about to perform, there was a good chance that anyone else who was a part of this conspiracy would slip away quietly into the abyss.

Bella spat on the real grave of the former revered wizard before apparating to where his supposed funeral was being held.

So here, they were in Godric's Hallow, the falseness of even pretending to bury the bastard in the same hallowed ground as his victims leaving a nasty taste in Bella's mouth as she looked at those gathered.

Most didn't know that the large ornate coffin contained no body, no wand, was merely a shill to gather them in one place. As she looked around, she saw Alastor Moody and smirked as Amelia Bones tagged him to be taken in for questioning at the end of this farce.

Kingsley Shacklebolt, Hestia Jones, Emmaline Vance and the Longbottoms were the aurors who were tagged. Some because of their loyalty to the former Headmaster, others because of the possibility that they knew something, something even they weren't aware of.

The old guard who Dumbledore had cultivated over the years like Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge, the Weasleys and the dowager Augusta Longbottom were those who would get a closer look.

The teachers, staff and ghosts of the school were all being questioned later on that day, in fact they were to be the first ones interrogated.

Severus Snape having been questioned and released in spite of his small part in this mess. The Potion's master had truly believed he was protecting the boy. Minerva had been rather happy to have him able to step in as a teacher for the upcoming year as Horace Slughorn was most assuredly guilty.

Arabella Figg was even as they spoke under arrest and answering questions, her answers would later be verified by veriataserum. Bella was looking around for the person she herself was to tag, the werewolf who had been friends with her cousin Sirius. Remus Lupin, even if not part of the conspiracy would have a lot to answer for and then after the Ministry was finished with the wizard, he would have to face one very pissed of Sirius Black.

Bella watched as the service began, as neutral expression on her face as she observed those attending, struggling to hid her disdain when the Weasley matriarch burst into loud sobs while she hugged her youngest child a girl tightly to her.

When the service ended, Bella saw everyone dissipate and moved forward after disillusioning herself with the intent of spitting on the old man's grave, but stopped when she saw a ragged looking man moving as stealth-fully as a drunk could forward. When the man who looked half crazed, pulled out a wand and set the fake tomb on fire and began to throw reductos as it, she couldn't help wondering what and who he was until she got closer.

The smell alone made her gag as she finally stunned the rather unkempt wizard. Using her wand to push his hair off his face, she let out a low chuckle and said "Well, well, well. Remus John Lupin. We have been looking for you. I have to say, that was not the reaction I was expecting from you." 

Seeing his glare in spite of being unable to move, she pointed her index finger in front of his face and scolded him. "Naughty, naughty, Mr. Lupin, is that any way to treat the revered hero of the magical world.

Releasing him from the hex after encasing him in ropes and removing his wand, she felt her eyebrows raise when his only words were "Fuck you and fuck that lying cheating murdering old goat."

"Now is that any way to speak to a lady?" Bella mocked.

When he went to answer, she shook her head and stunned him again before carting him off to the Ministry. Dropping him off, she went to speak to Amelia and her boss who were awaiting her in the large rather plain office.

"Problems?" Amelia inquired.

"Small deviation to the plan. Someone was vandalizing the tomb." She replied. Seeing she had their attention, she dryly replied. "One Remus John Lupin, looking nothing like what he did when he graduated Hogwarts and smelling like he lives in a muggle garbage dump. I ordered your people to give him a shower and new clothes, then sober him up so that we would be able to speak to him."

 **Chapter Six Prompt: Puppy Love**

Eight year old Harry was seriously developing a case of puppy love as his godfather took him to the nearby park as his animagus form. The surprised young boy had been throwing sticks and watching as the wizard/animagus chased after them as eagerly as a real dog.

When Sirius had been human, there had been an awkwardness to the situation that wasn't there when the dark haired wizard was in this form. Harry had always longed for love, but after years in the custody of the Dursleys found it hard to interact with adults with any sense of trust. So having a godfather who was also a dog, something that was less complicated as far as he was concerned had made getting to know the older man much easier. 

Arriving back at the house, Harry had a wide grin on his face as his godfather immediately returned to human form. This grin faded a bit, but returned when that strange house elf popped back in and insisted that they join him in the kitchen and eat dinner.

Seated across from the man he had spent the afternoon with as a dog, Harry didn't know what to say and after several minutes of silence, his godfather finally burst out and said "I am so sorry, Harry. Your parents and I, we trusted the wrong person. When we started receiving the notes, we were so sure that it was the Ministry, so sure that our trustworthy and dedicated Headmaster would never be part of a conspiracy like this."

Seeing the young boy's confusion, Sirius frowned and then with a husky tone to his voice said "I forgot. I am sorry. Bella wished me to stay quiet for now, until this weekend so that we would have time to sit down and answer any questions you had about the situation."

Harry bit his lip and then asked "Am I being sent back to the Dursley, ever?"

"NO!" The man tersely replied, his anger showing on his face.

Harry then dipped his head before quietly saying "Then I am fine with learning the rest when you are ready to tell me. All I care about is that I don't have to go back there, ever."

 **Chapter Seven Prompt: Gloves**

Bella stopped in to visit her sisters on her way back to the Black family Manor house. Andromeda was helping her daughter with her final homework assignment for the summer when she arrived at the Tonks residence. 

Grimacing at bit at having to enter muggle London, even for a few minutes, Bella sat down across from the two members of her family and smiled at the sight of Dora as she complained about her History of Magic Professor.

Filling Andromeda and her in about her day and asking her to come to the house this weekend, she explained. "Young Harry is still rather uneasy and I expect that to continue for a bit. I think meeting Draco and Dora might help."

"I thought he already meet Draco?" Dora asked while signing her name to her assignment and then blowing on the paper to dry the ink.

"Only momentarily and then he turned down an invite to the Malfoy Manor today." Bella replied. "We have also invited Amelia's nice and a few others we are sure are safe."

Dora agreed then went to check on her father who was still at his law office. Due to the current unsettled atmosphere he had been pulled into the Ministry to help prosecute the various upcoming cases and he had been working long hours to make up for the lost time to his client.

Bella and Andromeda discussed the parts of the case kept from the impressionable young Dora and the older witch said "Bella, this can't be swept under the rug. Riddle is going to have to go public and even after he does, it won't be believed."

"No thanks to Dumbledore's rather masterful campaign to make my boss look like the bad guy for the last several years regarding Harry. Not even Harry reappearing is going to look good for us." She replied. "Too many people believed every single word out of the old man's mouth."

"You need to get Harry's permission to release what the Goblins found out and his parent's letters regarding the original situation when they graduated Hogwarts. You also need to make the trials public."

"That is already being done." She replied with a sigh. "I have to go speak to Narcissa, Lucius is frothing at the mouth regarding Arthur Weasley not already being arrested."

"Lucius needs to be dealt with. His public feud with the Weasley family needs to be toned down or the public will believe their version of this being a vendetta against them." Andromeda stated.

"I already sent him a note. Minister Riddle has ordered him to his office tomorrow morning to make it official. I agree with Lucius that they aren't to be trusted, but both Minerva and Tom believe that it is the man's wife who was a part of the conspiracy." 

"I can't believe I am saying this, but I agree with Lucius on this." Andromeda answered. Seeing Bella's confusion. She said "Molly Weasley wouldn't be able to go against the family magic. Arthur has to at least know even if he isn't an active part of this."

"I guess I better go talk to Lucy." Bella replied with a grimace. "I hate having to tell that pompous git that he might be right about anything. Seriously, what sort of a man wears gloves even in the middle of summer. I don't know why he started that affectation, but it makes him look like a git."

Andi stopped her sister and replied "You don't know?"

"Know what?" Bella asked.

"You have been too busy, so I guess Narcissa hasn't told you. Thanks to that incident at the Department of Mysteries the night the Headmaster died, good ole Lucius can't touch anyone without getting a glimpse of their memories or what they are thinking. Croaker ordered him to wear them until it wears off." 

"Oh." Bella replied with a smirk. "I think I just found a use for that pretty boy our sister married." 

TBC, Maybe


	7. Petunia Dursley, Detective

Some noticed that I use the Malfoys family a lot as a plot point. Truthfully, it's because of Narcissa. While I know the faces and other characters played by the actors from the Potter movies, hers is pretty much unknown to me, so to a certain extent, she is a blank slate I am able to mold in my imagination. It may seem strange, but that is all there is to it.

Yes, the Malfoys are evil, but if you were to read my other stories, you would realize that I write about mobsters finding love, so turning the Malfoys around, isn't such a stretch for me.

As a counterpoint to that, Julie Walters is a character in a television show that seriously annoys me to the point that when she is on, I turn the channel and is partly why I find her so annoying as Molly Weasley. My perception as a result of this other character affects my writing. It's the same for other actors in this series, like Michael Gambon versus Richard Harris, love Richard's Albus, find Michael's to be troublesome as a result of other characters that they have played.

Anyhow, here is yet another plot bunny, this one is rather old and I doubt that unlike many of the others, this one will ever be finished.

 _ **Petunia Dursley, Detective**_

Chapter One: Sally Lockhart is Born 

Petunia Dursley stared in horror at the basket on her front stoop. She had awoken early to prepare breakfast for her husband and had opened the door to retrieve the morning paper, only to find her toddler nephew there. Stepping back and closing the door, she tried to pretend that she hadn't seen what she had so she reopened the door only to moan in despair as she once again saw the toddler asleep in a basket, a note stuck to the top of the blanket covering him.

Bending down, she took the note and upon reading it, silently cursed that right bastard Albus Dumbledore, headmaster at the school her now late sister had attended from the age of eleven. When she got to the part of the note where the annoying old moron had written that by merely reading the note, the boy had magically been given over to her custody, she crumpled up the letter and looked around the neighborhood and then bent down to carry the basket inside.

Uncovering the baby, she stared at it, repulsed by the knowledge that more than likely this child had the same odd powers, the same ability to control things that her sister had. Moving the basket from the coffee table to the floor, she returned to the kitchen and sat there, drinking a cup of tea and debating how to handle this mess.

When her husband joined her and upon realizing that there was no breakfast prepared, began to speak, she handed over the note and said in a bitter tone. "I hate that man."

"We just dump the kid at the hospital or an orphanage." He said with a shrug.

She looked at him and shook her head no before adding "According to the note, we can't. I know enough about that freaky stuff my sister could do to know that we are stuck with the freak. I was just thinking of ways we can use it to benefit ourselves."

"What do you mean, Pet?" He asked as he stared off into the parlor where he could see the basket and the blue receiving blanket covering the brat.

With a cold smile, she said "Dumbledore's letter was rather informative, add that to some of the stories that my sister told me and that I know how to access parts of their world, we keep the kid and treat him just like he is our own child."

"Have you gone mad, Petunia?" He asked horrified at what she was saying. "Keep him? Treat him like we would our beloved Dudley?"

"Oh yes, Vernon." She replied with an icy smirk growing on her face. "See, in that letter, that old meddling bastard mentioned that my sister was killed because of that world. By the time Harry is old enough for that man to return to retrieve my sister's child, we are going to do to him what he did to me."

"I don't understand?" He asked looking at his wife who seemed gleeful.

"I am going to make sure that by the time Lily's son entered Hogwarts, he blames the supposedly great Albus Dumbledore, Hogwart's Headmaster for the deaths of his beloved parents." She replied. "Excuse me my dear, by I need to go and awaken Dudley so that Harry, he and myself may make a quick trip to London."

"Dear?"

"The reason I was so sure that a mistake had been made regarding my not attending Hogwarts was because I could see the supposedly magical doorway to that world. I never told anyone, I kept it to myself. I was so sure that a mistake had been made. Well, I snuck past the bartender back when Lily was a student and purchased a book at this rather old-fashioned bookstore I found. It told me I was something called a squib. Anyhow, I am going to take advantage of that and return to that Alley and start to gather ammunition to take down that bastard. I will make him pay for what he has cost me and he has given me the perfect weapon."

Later that night, Vernon Dursley returned home to find his house looking immaculate and two little boys playing together in Dudley's playpen. His wife and he sat down to dinner and he cheerfully asked. "How was your day, Pet?"

She handed over the paperwork given to her by the Goblins and watched as his eyes widened at what was reported in them. She next handed him the magical newspaper and stated "I requested a clipping service begin to send me all articles pertaining to a whole slew of magical names that I recognized in back issues of this paper."

"Petunia, how can we afford this?" He asked taking a moment to point out that while he was paid a decent salary it wasn't extravagant.

"The Goblins who run the magical bank took care of everything, the Potter family bank executive seemed more than willing to help me. He has also arranged for a stipend to be sent to support Harry, I only had to agree to bimonthly wellness visits and to hand over all receipts for Harry's expenses to them." She answered. "I had them hand over some funds so that I could turn our guest bedroom into a room for young Harry."

"Surely that isn't necessary? Where will Marge stay when she visits?" He protested not liking that his sister was getting evicted from her bedroom for a child he didn't even want under his roof.

"Vernon, after what I was shown at that bank, Marge can stay in the small room, she is only here two weeks a year and a couple of days at the holidays." She said as she filled him in on the rest.

Vernon had his misgivings and still wasn't going to agree to her plan until she told him the rest of the news. "Vernon, we will be getting what equals out to five hundred pounds every two weeks just for room and board, we will be doing this."

Vernon's rather greedy eyes went to the amount of money she pulled out of her purse and was reaching for it when she pulled it back and said "I have an agreement that the Goblins are requiring us to sign before I can hand over the funds."

Vernon read through it, skimming through it, really and reaching for a pen, quickly signed the contract with the thought that he would soon wear his wife's zeal down and get her to agree that the boy was too much trouble. Too bad he didn't realize he had signed a magical contract and that said contract had compulsion charms that would keep him in line...

* * *

A month later, Vernon had a vague recollection of a plan to take the funds and get rid of the boy, but for the most part, he just ignored the child and doted on his own son. He heard his wife's voice calling for him to join her in the kitchen where every night after dinner, she sat down and read the clippings she received and the frequent magical mail that they received via a magical mail box at that odd bank of theirs.

Lumbering into the kitchen, he unwillingly sat down across from his wife who was beaming at him as she shook some papers that were in her hands. "I did it, I found the evidence. Just you wait, in nine and a half years, when little Harry attends Hogwarts, he is going to be one Albus Dumbledore's worst enemy."

By the time that Harry was five years old, his aunt had divorced his uncle and had hired a elf nanny at the suggestion of the Goblins for both her own child and her nephew. Vernon had been caught with his pants down with a Realtor in Majorca where he had gone to purchase them a vacation home. Petunia had not forgiven him and had used a Goblin recommended lawyer to take him for all he had.

She had been researching the magical world for the last three and a half years and now was known by some in that world as a reliable squib investigator. She had been amused when the publisher of the Daily Prophet had hired her to research some claims of libel after having heard of her from the Goblins who had been taking orders from the angry woman regarding the non-licensed Harry Potter cottage industry that had sprung up after Harry's disappearance into the muggle world.

Now, she was a highly paid researcher in both worlds who had begun working under a pseudonym created by the Goblins. To her clients she was Sally Lockhart, squib researcher who worked in both the muggle and magical worlds. She had recently received an offer from a rather rich wizard who had her investigating her very own favorite target, Albus Dumbledore and his past with Gallert Grindelwald.

Checking on her boys, she was delighted to see that the diet the elf nanny had put Dudley on recently seemed to have yielded some results. Finding Harry quietly attempting to read the latest magical picture book she had picked him up in Diagon Alley, she ruffled his always messy hair and went to check in with the nanny, Carex.

"Welcome home, mistress Petunia." The elf stated as she snapped her fingers and a cup of tea appeared in front of the weary looking muggle.

"Thank you, Carex. How were the boys today?"

"Mr. Dudley was rather upset when he woke up from his nap. He left his new toys at his father's place and wanted to to retrieve them immediately." She stated looking expectantly at the boy's mother for the order to bring the new toys there.

"I left them on purpose, I have told Vernon that he needs to cease spoiling the boy." She said frowning. "As it is it will take weeks to get him back to eating the healthy food recommended by his pediatrician."

Vernon had refused to accept the recommendation of the physician who had threatened to report the parents regarding their son's weight issues. Petunia had admitted that Dudley ate healthy while home, but that when he was with his father and aunt, he was often fed food not on his specialized diet and that when her ex-husband visited, Vernon often slipped Dudley candy.

Thankfully, she had managed to convince Harry not to accept it, because Vernon had often handed as much of the sugary snacks to her nephew as well. Thing would settle down and then Vernon would take Dudley once a month for the weekend and they would be back dealing with a little boy who refused to eat anything but starches, unhealthy red meats and sugary snacks and drinks.

After spending time with the boys, Petunia went to her Goblin warded study and sat down to add to her thick dossier on Albus Dumbledore. The more she found out, the more horrified she was. Dumbledore was only honest when it came to the financial dealings he was in charge of, when it came to all other aspects of his domain the man was a megalomaniac who had way too much power for just one man.

Looking at the lack of evidence regarding a trial for one Sirius Black and grimacing at how backwards the magical world was regarding justice, she picked up a file that was right behind his, the file regarding Frank and Alice Longbottom. Albus Dumbledore seemed way too interested in this family for it to be benign and she wanted to figure out what he was up to.

Tapping her French Manicured nail on top of the file, her mind on how she herself could help fix this mess and at the same time, maybe gain a powerful ally in her future fight with Albus Dumbledore, Petunia Dursley opened her nice leather bound appointment book and circled her mid morning meeting with the brain specialist she had located while working on another case.

Dr. Hathaway was a squib, his parents had been squibs who had fled the war with Grindelwald. He had grown up in New Zealand had and only returned to England because he had received a scholarship to Cambridge. Now in private practice, he had a knowledge of the magical world that she required and at age forty was a world renown healer in brain injuries.

When she had interviewed him regarding another case, she had idly mentioned being a squib to him, which had led to them talking about his views of the British magical world which were very similar to her own. Rather intrigued, she had done some research and had come across an article he had published in the Lancet, a medical journal regarding success using ECT, to treat catatonia, when it was a subset of schizophrenia.

The thing was, how did she get Dr. Hathaway and Augusta Longbottom in the same room without exposing her own interest in the welfare of the couple whose rather conveniently time assault had been fortuitous for only one person, one Albus Dumbledore.

* * *

Chapter Two

Three more years later, Petunia was smiling happily at the headlines of the Daily Prophet. It had taken some time, but eventually Dr. Hathaway had spoken to Augusta Longbottom. She been convinced by him to trust her regarding the health of her son and daughter in law. 

Twenty four months later, Frank and Alice had walked out of the St. Mungo magical hospital with their arms around their son and the entire Longbottom family had promptly emigrated to the Australian magical community. Petunia had already decided to take the boys to Sydney the later this summer so that she could speak to them.

Harry was now ten and had grown up with the knowledge of his parents deaths and the magical world, but Petunia had not mentioned Dumbledore, instead she had spent the last several years encouraging him to read books, play sports and to mingle with the non-magical or what the magicals called the muggle world. Harry and Dudley weren't friends, more like the cousins with different interests but she was grateful for that because she couldn't help recalling how jealous and bereft she had been when Lily had befriended Severus Snape and had learned the truth about why she could do the things she did.

In a years time, Dudley would be attending Smeltings Academy like his father had years before. It had been agreed upon in Vernon and her divorce proceedings. Petunia let out a sigh as she thought about her ex-husband, the man still lived with his sister as she had destroyed every potential relationship he had tried to explore and considering his deficits there weren't many.

He still worked at Grunnings and while not a great father to their son, mainly do to his absolute blindness regarding healthy living, he was at least acceptable. That was the one thing that Petunia regretted, that Harry didn't have his own father figure. Vernon had never been mean to Harry but he had also never tried to accept her nephew.

Hearing her watch beep, Petunia realized that she had to attend to her last meeting of the day and changing into clothes that were acceptable in the magical world, went off to meet this potential new client, one Lucius Malfoy who she was well aware was a dangerous man in the magical world.

Arriving at the conference room in Gringotts, she had no sooner sat down her briefcase and opened it to retrieve her leather note case than the tall blond wizard entered the room. She couldn't help noting his good looks were marred by the sneer on his face as the Goblin exited the room and closed the door. Standing, she held out her hand and stated. "I am Sally Lockhart, Mr. Malfoy."

The blond looked her over and she felt the mental tingle that the goblins warned her about and said with a lilt to her tone. "I may be a squib Mr. Malfoy, but I do have my own version of physical and mind protection defenses. Please stop trying to find out what I am thinking about."

The blond scowled and sat down across from her. "Are you related to that idiot Gideon Lockhart?"

"The blowhard whose books are full of contradictions, no." She replied wondering why he was asking more than positive he had researched her and found what the Goblins had allowed him to which was strictly her cover story.

"Good." He tersely replied. Taking out a sack of galleons, he placed them on the table and said "There is fifty galleons in this bag, another fifty when you find what I am looking for."

"Mr. Malfoy, I don't work blindly." She replied as she looked between the sack with the compulsion charm on it and the wizard. "I am also not foolish enough to accept the funds. I am quite certain that you are well aware of my reputation."

"Fine." He snapped angry with this squib, furious that she was his best chance of getting what he needed. He HAD done his research and knew from speaking to some of his former cohorts that she had no restrictions on who she worked for. She had even found what had been needed by Theodore Nott Senior to free himself from his unwanted betrothal to that Umbridge woman. "I want to know everything you can find out about the Black family estate. My son is the heir and he will be claiming his inheritance on his eleventh birthday next year."

"Let me save you the funds." Petunia said a bit disappointed on not really having a case. "I did some research regarding this very subject for another client. What I am about to tell you is a matter of public record if you know where to look and not covered by privilege."

"Do I look like the sort of person who gives a damn. Just tell me what you know." Malfoy said removing half the sum from the sack and putting it on the table.

"You aren't going to like it." She warned. "Warburga Black, who is my guess why you believe that your son inherits the estate, had no legal authority to bequeath it to anyone. She also had no legal right to expel anyone from the family. Her husband didn't have the authority to hand anything but his own trust over to his youngest son Regulus. Only the Black Head of House had the authority to decide the heir to the Black fortune."

"Arcturus Black outlived his son and daughter-in-law and he left the fortune to Sirius Black and had disowned Orion and Walburga to start with." she stated.

"Black is in Akzaban." Malfoy pointed out.

"Yes, he is. However, if he were convicted or to die, his will would be enacted. I found that the Goblins, the Ministry and the Muggle world all have copies of his will and in it, he leave his entire estate to one Harry James Potter." She said. "Your son would only inherit from Warburga and even that is suspect because she never updated her will. Her will left everything to her son Regulus whose will left everything to Sirius. So Harry Potter could also make a claim on that part of the estate."

"I am sure that will is a fake. Why would Black leave anything to that boy when he was responsible for the deaths of the boy's parents." Malfoy sneered.

"All I know is what is on record. You should also know that..." Petunia pulled out her rather thick file on various magical families and found the family tree she was looking for. Laying it out on the table, she said "This is the Black family tree... there are no male heirs in the line of Sirius and Hestia Gamp Black. Molly Prewett Weasley is the last of the female line from that branch but as has been stated, Arctumus disinherited both of his children."

She saw his lip curl and moved to the next branch of the tree. "Cygnus and Violetta Bulstrode Black, had one son and two daughters. Pollex, Cassipedea and Dorea Black. Pollax was the father of Warburga who of course tracks back to Sirius inheriting. Alphard who died without issue. And your father-in-law who had daughters. Cassidpeda lost her magic and lastly there was Dorea Black Potter who had a son who had a son." 

Lucius tightly gripped his snake cane as he realized that by the rules of patrimony, Harry Potter was the heir after Sirius Black no matter how you looked at it. He had been seen the family tapestry and had been told that his son would inherit the estate by his father-in-law and Warburga.

Grimacing at the knowledge that Dumbledore had more than likely been controlling the Black seat in the Wizengamot all this time on behalf of Potter, he stood, nodded at the squib and began to exit only for the woman to speak. "Mr. Malfoy, there is another matter I am hoping to speak to you about. I have a client who is interested in discussing avenues to remove a certain Headmaster from his seat on the International court."

Malfoy turned and looked at the squib. "Why would this concern me?"

With a smile on her face, she said "My client is well aware that you have spent the last several years trying to remove the headmaster from his various positions. My client intends to succeed in their quest. I have been authorized on their behest to offer you a part in the plan."

"I would want to meet this client." Malfoy stated.

"I am sure you would but that isn't part of the bargain. You will be taking none of the risk only benefiting from their work. I will be frank, my client is concerned that any plan you yourself might put in play might expose their own plans. He is more than willing to allow you to benefit from his hard work, his plans are about revenge not power." She stated.

She saw the cold gray eyes narrow as Malfoy returned to the chair he had previously been sitting in. "I am listening."

"I believe you are aware of a wizard named Barty Crouch Senior..." she asked and saw his frown as he heard the name of one of the men who had not believed his claim of being under the imperio curse. "Yes, I would say you are. We are going to have Dumbledore removed as Supreme Mugmump and Barty Crouch put in his place. Barty is compromised, my employer owns him and no, it isn't anything that would help you."

Lucius looked at the horse faced woman seated across from him. He had had her researched and had come up with very little which wasn't surprising as most pureblood families tended to disown squibs. What he had found had intrigued him because she seemed to come out of nowhere after the dark lord's demise.

Now, here she was offering to pass on information on behalf of this mysterious employer of hers and he was cunning enough to be interested but cautious enough to not just fall in with her plans. Yet, Barty Crouch was a non-entity other this the man's believe that Lucius was a death eater. "How?"

"All you need to know is that my employer is going to request that you use your connections with Cornelius Fudge to get him to appoint Barty to this new position. If it helps, Barty won't be in it for long and you are quite free to put into the open seat whomever you would like." Petunia said hiding her need to smirk. She had seen his tell, Lucius Malfoy would be a formidable poker player except for one small tell. When something interested him, he had a tendency to run his hand over his wand handle in an almost indecent caress.

Petunia had no intentions of letting the pureblood faction win, but for now, she would let them think that they were building a power base and weakening Dumbledore, because that was the one thing that they were doing. The truth about power however, well that she had under her control already, even if no one in the magical world would ever suspect a squib of being able to out maneuver them.

Lucius looked into her eyes and saw the cool smooth almost amusement in the brown eyes staring back at him. Thinking on the latest vote by the Headmaster in regards to certain laws and he nodded his assent before standing and heading out the door without so much as a polite goodbye.

Petunia took pleasure in reading in the Daily Prophet how after a few health issues, Albus Dumbledore was stepping down as the Supreme Mugmump of the International Wizarding Courts. With a quiet chuckle, she tucked the clipping into her locked files and using a red pen crossed that chore off her list.

Sitting back in her chair, she shook her head as she once again was very grateful that logic and common sense were lacking in the magical world. Even better was that no one would ever suspect that one of the most revered men in the magical world could be infected by a muggle illness.

No one but no one would have any idea that all that was wrong with the man was simply arsenic poisoning. Not even to kill him, just enough to make him appear frail and unhealthy. Dumbledore had tried to protest his removal, had even suggested that it was merely a matter of his overdoing things on his schedule but that had played straight into her hands and had allowed her to plant the seeds of doubt about his age.

Petunia knew that she had to start outside of Hogwarts which was were Malfoy had gone wrong. The pureblood wizard had repeatedly attached the elder wizard at where he was strongest, instead of going for his weakest link. Now, Barty Crouch was where she wanted him to be and doing what she told him in an effort to keep his deep dark secrets hidden.

Even better, he had been convinced by a 'friend' that the muggles had a way of changing someone's thought process and had sent his son for the procedure in an effort to change him. Too bad Barty Crouch Jr had not responded well to EST or what muggles called Electro Shock Therapy.

The former Death Eater was little more than a drooling idiot that Barty had being supervised by a house elf. She would let him keep his position until her nephew was a student at Hogwarts, then she would remove the creepy bastard from his position and with Albus busy trying to deal with what she was hoping Harry threw his way, the pureblood faction would put their person in place allowing her to use her newest contacts to bring if not equality at least a form of democracy to the magical world.

* * *

Chapter Three 

It was two weeks before Harry's eleventh birthday and he was sitting across from the strangest looking creature he had ever seen in his aunt's study staring at the man, er goblin in disbelief. "So you are saying I am a wizard?"

Petunia verified what the goblin had to say and gently told him the truth about the murder of his parents. All Harry had ever known was that they had been murdered by terrorists. As he was told the story, she watched and saw his eyes narrowing at her story of his arrival at the house of Privet Drive.

"You mean, like Moses in Egypt, right? A baby in a basket?" Harry said skeptically. "Was the symbolism intentional?"

"I don't know." Petunia answered wide eyed at the questions her nephew had asked, she had never once wondered about the symbolism of how he had ended up with her. That became another line of inquiry for her. "This man, Dumbledore, he portrays himself as a pureblood, out to save the souls of others, but in truth he was the child of a muggleborn as well as a pureblood so he might have been aware of the story."

Petunia thanked the goblin who had given Harry the paperwork her nephew needed to take care of and soon used the fireplace to return to Gringotts. "Aunt Petunia, why did you not tell me about this before now?"

With a heavy sigh, she went to her safe and pulled out the clippings and said "I have to take Dudley to his father's place. Read these and when I get back, I will answer any questions you have."

An hour later as she pulled off the A4 and drove back to the house on Privet Drive, Petunia calmed her emotions and organized her thoughts. Finding Harry still seated in the same chair in her office, most of the clippings having been returned to the desk, she said "How are you doing?"

"So these magicals, they think I am this Boy Who Lived? That I did this?" He asked holding up the headline that announced he had defeated He Who Must Not Be Named.

"Yes." Petunia replied.

Harry asked a few more questions, all pertaining to the previous war and his parent's part in it. When he was finished, he asked "How do you know so much?"

"I dug deep and made friends with people that have no idea my connection to yourself or your mother." She replied. Removing another file, she handed it over. "I have been having the Goblins shutting down most of this schlock, but collected a great deal of it so that you would be able to see this. Especially these books which I was unable to completely remove from circulation."

Harry took the file and the box that was on the back credenza and went to his bedroom. Getting comfortable on his bed, he began with the pre-teen books that described him as some sort of wizarding superhero. Midway through the first book he had laughed so hard he had almost injured his ribs as he heard his aunt calling him to join her for dinner.

At the dining room table, he looked at her and said "How on earth could anyone believe any of that nonsense to be true?"

"Harry, you will soon learn that common sense isn't so common in the magical world and that they have such a circular logic that they believe everything that they read and that the government tells them." She replied as she served them both chicken over rice and some steamed vegetables.

After loading the dishwasher which was on his chore list for the week, Harry went back to finishing the books and tossing them back into the box at the foot of his bed, completely disgusted with them.

Picking up the non-fiction books, he read about the history of the last two wars in the magical world and was still reading when his aunt entered his room and pointed out that it was almost midnight. "You should have been fast asleep two hours ago, young man."

"Sorry Aunt Petunia." He replied as he tossed down the last of the books. "It's just...well I see what you mean about common sense and logic. There is so much background missing to the history books and those fiction books read like some of Dudley's more cheesy graphic novels."

"Tomorrow, I will give the other view." she stated as she moved around the room straightening things and waiting for him to slide under the covers. When he had done so, she said "Lights out, young man."

With a small smile, she watched as he lay back and went to sleep before heading downstairs to let Carex know she had to head out for a late night meeting. Arriving at her meeting with Lucius Malfoy, the pureblood wizard who no longer sneered at her, but instead was proving to be a bit of a asset after she had done as promised.

"Crouch was exposed as having had his son removed from Azkaban prison." He bluntly stated as he looked across the conference table at her. "How long did you know?"

"I can only say that my employer found this out two years ago. When I told you it would do nothing for your cause, I meant it. Did you heard about his son's medical status?" Petunia asked.

"No one is sure what happened though there are some who believe he was kissed by a dementor." Lucius answered.

"The boy probably wished he had been by the time that his father was finished with him. See, there is a muggle remedy for certain illnesses of the mind, but on a healthy mind, well the cure burns away brain cells. Are you aware of what electricity is, Mr. Malfoy?"

"It's how muggles power things." He answered.

"Yes, the average plug carries 220 volts of power and it is enough to do serious damage if you accidentally touch it. What happened to that man's son, was a hundred times worse. He was hooked up to a machine on his father's behalf with small contacts all over his body and the voltage was surged through his body. It is similar to the affects of the crucioed over ten times in mere minutes and he was under this for at least a half hour. When it was over, his father had him returned home and didn't give him any follow up treatment. His son tried to escape recently, Barty decided to have the final solution done and had his son's brain essentially removed."

Shuddering as this squib sat there and recited all of the gruesome details without so much as a change of tone, he asked "What next?"

"You and your faction get to put a new Supreme Mugrump in place." She replied. "You should also know that there is going to be an investigation by the International Council into Barty Crouch and I know what it is going to find. Your bought and paid for Minster might want to get out in front of it, right now, if he stays silent it will seem as if he was a co-conspirator."

"Of what?" Lucius asked.

"This ties back to my research into the Black family." she said with a cool expression on her face. "Look into the trial of Sirius Black. Oh wait, you can't because there wasn't one. If this were to be exposed by the wrong hands or if Black suddenly died, it would ensure that Fudge was no longer Minister. If he were to expose the wrong doing of Crouch, it will not only take down Crouch, but Dumbledore and his group would take a huge hit in the press."

She could almost see Lucius Malfoy crapping his pants as he realized that his own self interest in keeping Sirius Black in prison might hinder his deep routed needed to take down Dumbledore. "If it helps, this is going to happen either with or without your help."

"What do you want from me?" He asked..

"Myself? I want nothing." She answered. "My employer, well he wants it done quietly. He has a score to settle with Mr. Black and it would work best if he was quietly released and then there a large spectacle in the ministry and press about how the wrong man had been imprisoned. If Fudge really needs his hand held and led to the path, do a little research into the magical effects of being a godparent. Sirius Black was and is magically the godfather of young Harry Potter."

Lucius looked at the woman and said "Anything else?"

"Dumbledore performed the ceremony." She replied and saw a slow smirk grow on the man's face. "Oh and if you want this to work, you are going to have to oppose the werewolf legislation that the current Undersecretary to the Minster is proposing because you are going to need the testimony of one RJ Lupin, werewolf to prove this."

* * *

Two days later, Petunia read the article in the Daily Prophet and handed it over to her nephew whose eyes went wide. "I have a godfather and he is in prison?"

"Yes, but he is innocent." She answered as she continued to eat her eggs and bacon. "What do you think of the werewolf bill?"

"It sucks." He said with the directness of a an almost preteen. "That book you brought me said that they can't help it, so why are they being treated that way? I'm glad this Mr. Malfoy opposed the bill and helped get it defeated."

"Yes, but if you read a little deeper you will realized he didn't do it out of charitable concerns but because of his own self-interest." She replied as she watched Harry lift the paper and reread the article on page three. When she heard the chimes at the door, she said "That is probably Ms Figg."

"Do I have to stay with her?" Harry asked in a dejected tone. The woman's house always smelled of wet cat and stinky feet. "I mean, what if I accidentally do something?"

"Don't and Harry you know why you have to go there." She gently prodded him to his feet. "Just do what you usually do and remember, she is watching over you for the man who put you in that basket."

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry said as he dragged his feet while approaching the front door. Greeting the woman he now knew was a squib spy, he gave his aunt a half hearted wave and stood outside.

"Thank you, Ms. Figg." Petunia said in a cold tone, as she claimed that Harry had been misbehaving yet again which was why he was staying with her instead of going to go zoo with his cousin. In truth, Petunia knew that Harry didn't want to go, her nephew had been rather unnerved to realize that he could speak to the snakes and now avoided the zoo as much as he tried to avoid Arabella Figg.

* * *

Two weeks later, Petunia Dursley walked into Gringotts and had a meeting with one RJ Lupin who seemed rather earnest in his apologies for not seeking out the son of his late friends.

"I am not the one who you should be apologizing to. That would be my nephew." She coolly replied as she sat down across from the wizard. "Now, how is Mr. Black doing?"

"He is in a private hospital arranged by his cousin Andromeda Tonks nee Black." He replied. "He wishes to see Harry."

"That will be arranged, but not until he is healthy enough. Your good friend needs to be healthy both physically as well as mentally." She explained. "Harry wasn't told about the magical world until this past year. All he knew was that his parents were killed by terrorists. I wished him to have as normal a childhood as I could arrange for."

"How is he?" Remus Lupin inquired.

Taking a muggle photo out of her wallet, she handed over Harry's school picture and said "You may give that to Mr. Black, however only the two of you are to even be able to look at it. There are too many from your world who tried to take advantage of my nephew while he was too young to do anything about it. There is a reporter who has been rather persistent in trying to track him down along with many others including some that I am sure that the Potters considered friends."

"What do you mean?" Remus inquired with a frown on his face.

"I have at least a dozen different wizards and witches try to trick me into signing a betrothal contract for Harry with their daughters. We have had several instances of people trying to claim the Potter vaults and even one witch who tried to claim that her daughter is the illegitimate child of James Potter and the true heir to the Potter fortune. She didn't pass the heir test at Gringotts in spite of repeated requests for the ministry to intervene since she was a pureblood witch."

"You said it was some of the Potter's friends." Remus stated.

"Yes, a family whose name I knew from when Lily was in school. What most don't realize is that I am not a muggle, instead it turns out that Lily and I are the children of a long line of squibs. I myself am one." She replied. "I won't tell you more, frankly I have too many questions regarding how Harry ended up in my custody for me to trust anyone from that world of yours completely."

"You should know, Sirius himself is questioning how you ended up with custody of Harry." Remus bluntly replied. "He said that Lily and you were estranged and that she seriously disliked your ex-husband. There was a will that stated who was to gain custody of his godson."

"The Longbottoms." Petunia announced. "Did you know what happened to them? How they ended up in St. Mungos? How there was an available treatment that would have healed them much sooner. Now they are alive, still magical but are barely up to raising their own son, let alone an inquisitive boy like my nephew. As for Mr. Black's recall, yes, there were problems between my sister and myself before her death, however Harry is MY blood. MY only living reminder of a sister I lost years ago, long before her death at the hands of that foul bastard."

That Petunia meant Albus Dumbledore not Riddle, she kept to herself as she listened to the werewolf/wizard discuss the situation with Sirius Black.

TBC May not?


	8. Chapter 8 Taken

Chapter One 

Eight-year old Harry Potter ran past the park after school to evade his cousin Dudley and his friends, escaping through the back alley between the houses one street over from where his aunt's house. He was almost to Ms. Figg's place when he heard the footsteps of Piers up ahead as the other boy crashed through the trash bins. Diverting into the back yard of the empty house two blocks away from his, Harry hid in the hedges, staying as quiet as possible.

Hearing more footsteps, he made himself as small as possible only to realize that it was two adults speaking to one another not the boys chasing him. He stayed hidden, eavesdropping on them, the words he heard had him curious to discover what they were talking about.

"Did you send his highness the note?" He heard the shorter man with the twitch asking.

"I borrowed an owl from Diagon Alley. He will never track this back to us." The other man replied with a satisfied grin. "We should get back an answer soon. I told him to place the money in the set up Gringotts vault if he wanted his heir back."

"Are you sure that the Goblins won't get involved?" The twitchy man asked as he began to pace around the garden, ending up mere inches away from Harry's hiding spot.

"Nah, besides, do you really think that he will go to the Aurors and report us? He has vast secrets of his own to worry about becoming public knowledge if he were to try and turn on us." The taller man sneered. "We just need to keep that brat quiet. He is too much like his father and doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut."

"I locked him in the small storage space under the stairs." Twitchy replied with a high pitched titter as he took pleasure in holding the brat hostage. "I gave him a little taste of what the Dark Lord used to give us before tossing the brat inside."

"Stay away from the kid. At least for now, we don't want to give him too many chances to see our faces." Tall guy ordered then went inside. He didn't intend to let the kid live, at least not with his memories intact but he was almost sure that even at the age of eight the brat was smarter than his partner.

Twitchy stood in the center of the back garden and threw a small blasting hex at a stray cat slinking through the alley. He hated the way he was being talking down to. After all this had been his plan, he had only gone to the other wizard because he had needed help with the logistics.

Harry heard the tall man inside demanded that Pettigrew get inside before he exposed them to the muggles. Harry watched as Twitchy entered the house and closed the door leaving him with more questions than answers.

It was almost dark when Harry went home and was thrown into his cupboard by his angry uncle before he got a chance to tell him about the potential kidnapping, not that his uncle would care. He lay there, squeezed into the small space and thought about what he had just overheard knowing that there was no one he could turn to rescue the victim.

When he heard the phrase his highness, Harry wondered if they were talking about the queen but the strange man had said he, so maybe he had been talking about a prince or something. Maybe it was just a nickname for who the man sent the note to, after all, why would kidnappers of a prince be in his neighborhood.

Harry was very confused. He had tons of questions like how did one borrow an owl and why would one borrow an owl to send a ransom note? Was it like those messenger pigeons that he had read about in school? Diagon Alley, where was that?

He was also pretty sure that vaults were in banks and he had never heard of a bank named Gringotts. Were Goblins yet another nickname for someone else involved in this? Who were the Aurors, were they related to the kidnapped person? Was the Dark Lord yet another nickname, maybe for the bad guy in charge? Lastly, how had the twitchy man managed to throw that fire ball at the cat he was sure belonged to Ms. Figg?

Harry drifted off to sleep, knowing he had a busy day ahead of him if he wanted to help this kidnap victim without getting into any more trouble with his family.

After school, on the way home, he diverted past the house with the for sale sign in the front garden and slipped around the back. Hearing screams of pain coming from inside the house when he was a few feet from the same shrub as the day before, Harry felt sick to his stomach.

He wanted to call the police but he knew that thanks to his aunt and uncle the police wouldn't respond to his 999 call. Dudley had made some false emergency calls, and they had told the police it had been him. The only reason Harry hadn't been punished by the Dursleys was that he hadn't been there, he had been with his aunt at the supermarket. He had been giving a warning by the police though against false reports.

He panicked the more he heard the sound of the voice screaming and looking around wondered why no one else seemed to be paying any attention. In fact the neighbor across the street had carried out her garbage bag and placed it in the bins without so much as looking his way. Hearing the screams stop and the sound of footsteps, Harry dived for the shrubs just in time to avoid being seen.

The two men exited the house and the twitchy one was sweating as he whined to the tall man. "What if someone had heard us?"

"I sent up a muggle repellent charm. Even if they had heard, they would have ignored the sounds." The cold voice announced as he stuck a stick into his arm sleeve.

"What are we going to do now?" Twitchy asked. Harry remembered that the other man had called him a name the day before but he didn't recall what it was. Still he found Twitchy looked oddly familiar as he stared at the lumpy man who seemed to be pleading with the other man for answers.

"I will send another note to his dad. You keep the brat in line." The tall man announced as he took his odd looking stick back out from his arm sleeve.

"I have to go make an appearance at the Weasleys." Twitchy complained but Harry held his breath, hoping that this meant there might be a chance to rescue the kidnap victim without getting caught.

"Go, he will be fine. He is locked up. He's barely eight. He won't be a problem." The tall man snapped as he seemed to just disappear. Harry blinked and almost gasped but soon the second man did the same.

The small boy stayed where he was for a few minutes more and then hearing someone crying, he gently eased out from under the shrub and in spite of how afraid he was, tried the back door. To his total shock, it swung open upon his touch.

Entering, he was able to hear the crying and moving towards the small cupboard he saw that the only lock on the door was a small hook. Looking around just in case there were more kidnappers, he reassured himself that no one was in the house then unlocked the door.

Opening it, he saw a blond haired boy his age who was crying while his arms and legs twitched in pain as he lay there on the chipped linoleum floor. "Hey, lets get you out of there."

The blond boy looked up and saw the other kid holding out his hand to help him stand and asked "Who are you?"

"No one that matters. Come on. Let's get out of here before they come back." Harry said looking uneasily at the door he had left open, worried that the kidnappers might return at any minute. Helping the other boy out, he wrapped his arms around the other kid's waist as he trembled while attempting to stand.

Just to be on the safe side, Harry locked the small cupboard door and then closed the outer door as they exited the otherwise empty house. Once outside, Harry realized he had no plan other than to get the kidnap victim free. Contemplating at the boy who looked terrible, he said "I don't know what to do now. Do you have any idea who they were?"

"No. W-we need to send an owl to my dad so that he can come and get me." The boy said. Looking around the strange neighborhood, he frowned and asked in a bewildered tone "Where are we?"

"Little Whinging. It's just outside of London." Harry said. They were almost to the break in the hedges when he heard that loud pop again and looked back in time to see the tall man had returned.

Hearing the blond whimpering, Harry pulled him behind the hedge and hoped that they were safe long enough for them to figure out what to do next. Moving down the back alley, he saw Dudley and Piers were searching for him and thought to himself that he was caught one way or another.

When they saw Harry, Dudley shouted his name while moving toward where he was in the alley with the blond kid. Harry pulled the blond through the hedge, trying to hide from both the kidnappers and his cousin.

"Who are they?" The blond boy asked trying to peek out and get a glimpse of the other boys.

"My cousin and his friend. They were chasing me yesterday when I overheard the two men holding you hostage. I uh, didn't figure it out until last light until I was in my cupboard how to get you free. I came back after school to see if I was right about you being held in the house." Harry whispered as quietly as possible. "We have to get out of here before we get caught."

The blond was still trembling and they were about to be caught when they heard the angry sound of his cousin moaning in pain as he began to limp. Harry and the other boy stayed hidden as they saw Piers running past them promising Dudley to go for help.

Peeking through the hedge, Harry saw Dudley trying to follow Piers then suddenly he stopped as if frozen then fall forward onto his face. He let go of the branch of the hedge when he saw the tall kidnapper moved to the center of the alley and move purposefully towards his cousin.

The tall kidnapper looked down at Dudley then kicked his cousin before returning inside, muttering about being betrayed by that spineless idiot. Harry then heard a loud pop and knew that the other kidnapper had returned. He could hear the two kidnappers arguing inside about their escaped victim and how they had to find him as quickly as possible.

Soon unable to get away when Dudley's friend returned with his aunt blocking the forward path and the kidnappers the back way to the street, Harry heard Piers blame whatever had happened on him. Wincing when his aunt said that she would deal with it as she tried to wake up Dudley, Harry knew that at this point there was no way he wasn't going to be in trouble for this.

Harry didn't know why he didn't just exit the hedge and tell his aunt about the kidnappers but his aunt's anger had him convinced that the best way to handle things was to arrive home later and pretend to have been at the park. Looking at the silent blond boy, he saw the confused expression on his face as he listened to Harry's aunt telling Dudley how Harry would be severely punished for what he had done to him.

Listening to the boy next to him make a sneering comment about lying, nasty muggles Harry looked at him and whispered "Be quiet. We don't want to get caught."

When Dudley seemed to wake up and stagger home with the help of his aunt without paying any attention to the shouting going on nearby, Harry looked at the blond boy and said "Where do you live so that we can call your parents?"

"Call?"

"You know, on the telephone." Harry asked inwardly groaning at the confounded expression on the blond's face. Hearing shouting coming from inside the supposedly empty house, Harry ducked back down and had to pull the other boy down so that they weren't seen. "What's your name?"

"Draco. Draco Malfoy." The other boy said and looking towards where Harry's aunt and cousin were exiting the alley. "Why didn't they hear that? Why hasn't anyone heard that?"

"I have no idea. I mean there are people in all of these houses but none of them heard that or your cries earlier today." Harry said frowning. There were too many strange things going on and then there was the oddly foreign name of the boy he rescued.

"You heard it, though?" Draco asked looking at Harry with fascination, wondering if he was a mudblood. He had heard of them but had never actually met one. Maybe it was because of the use of magic, after all his father had told him that muggles couldn't see or hear it unless they wanted them to.

"Yes, of course I heard it. It's why I rescued you." Harry said with a heavy sigh, hoping that he was wrong and that this wasn't more proof of what a freak he was. They had been so busy trying to figure things out that they missed the sound of footsteps coming closer until it was too late and they had been seen.

Harry looked up to see the tall man standing in front of them with a stick in his hand that he waved at them. Gulping in fear, he felt the blond boy trembling as the man gave them a cold smile. "Well, well, what do we have here? Just who are you?"

When Harry didn't answer, the tall man looked at the blond, Draco and said "Your father foolishly thought that there would be no punishment for his lies. He paid the ransom, but I am not finished making him pay. Now who is your friend?"

Harry found himself yanked up and forward after the man muttered something and Draco had gone as still as Dudley earlier. Harry realized that Draco was under the same spell as Dudley had been. "Who are you?"

The man glared at Harry and called out for his accomplice and the twitchy man arrived only to stare in horror at Harry and stutter to the other man. "W-who is that? W-where did he come from?"

"Why don't you tell me?" The man smoothly requested, turning his wand towards Mr. Twitchy as he let go of Harry and let him fall onto his rear. "You seem to recognize the kid."

"I-it, he l-looks l-like, no, it can't be." The twitchy man said staring at Harry yet again before moving forward holding his own twig tightly in his hand accidentally freeing Draco. When he was standing in front of Harry, he reached down and yanked the blond boy to his feet and then looked at Harry again. Using his hand, he brushed Harry's bangs out of the way and Harry saw the twitchy man moan and pass out, dropping the blond onto Harry's feet.

"Well, well. It looks like I have just been given a great gift." The smile growing on the tall man's face was scary as he looked at his forehead and the scar caused by the same car accident that had killed his parents. "As I live and breathe if it isn't the Boy-Who-Lived? So Harry Potter, care to tell me what you are doing in Little Whinging?"

When Harry didn't answer, the man slapped him across the face, knocking him into the twitchy man. Harry grabbed Mr. Twitchy's stick and felt it warm up in his hand as he looked at the tall man. The boy at his feet began to wake up and Harry sensed him trying to sit up.

Hearing the man muttering something, Harry's entire body trembled as if he had placed his hand in a light socket. Moaning in pain, he felt it ease for a second and just wanted the man hurting him far, far away.

In shock as the man flew to the other end of the alley and crashed into a brick wall, Harry struggled to stand in spite of how he himself was now in distress. Looking at the blond who was staring down towards the tall man then at Harry. "How did you do that?"

"I don't know but we need to get out of here." Harry said reaching for the other boy's arm. They started to run only to end up trapped when the tall man just popped out of nowhere at the other end of the alley.

Mr. Twitchy stood and glared at the two boys from one end of the alley and Harry desperately looked around knowing that there were tall fences surrounding the house. After all he had been looking for an escape the other day when he had ended up in the hedge.

"Where are we going?" Draco asked as he tried to run.

Harry knew that they didn't have much of a choice but to head towards Mr. Twitchy. "Run towards the short stubby guy. We need to get past him since he doesn't have his sticky thing."

"His wand." Draco said as he stopped and began to run the other way only to hear his tall kidnapper apparate to the opposite end. "Now what should we do?"

Harry realized they were at gap in the hedge the house where the boy had been held kidnapped. "Go through the house and out the front door."

Draco obeyed and they were soon running down the driveway and around the curved road. Before long they arrived at the park and were running at full speed only to run straight into Mr. Twitchy who tried to yank his wand out of Harry's hand.

Hearing the other man calling out the same words that had hurt him so badly before, Harry ducked and the light hit Mr. Twitchy. Just wanting to get away, Harry stopped the blond boy and looked around for someplace to escape.

Finding nothing as the man approached, Harry helped the staggering Draco stay on his feet and looked at the stick, no, the wand in his hand and just thought out loud. "We need to get out of here."

The tall man stood there in shock as the two boys just disappeared. Moving forwards he saw the empty spot now at Pettigrew's feet. "What did you do?"

"N-nothing." Pettigrew said as he looked around for his 'borrowed' wand. Gulping, he looked at his accomplice and then back at the now empty space. "Where did they go?"

"We have to find them. Did you forget that the Malfoy brat saw our faces?" He said as he apparated away.

XoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoX

Draco and Harry found themselves in the parlor room of a very dusty house. Harry was looking around not sure what was going on. One minute he had been running for his life with the other boy and now they were in an empty room of a house that in spite of rain falling all around it, was completely dry. It felt weird to him, like he was safe there.

"Where are we now?" Draco asked looking at the small cottage. There was dust on everything but the room did have furniture and to his relief a fireplace. Shivering at how much colder than it had been wherever they had been, he wondered if there was floo powder he could use to send a message through to his dad.

"I don't know." Harry said looking around and seeing nothing that he recognized even if he felt oddly familiar. "How did we get here?"

"You brought us here." Draco said then looking at the wand in his hand said "You do know that you are a wizard, right?"

"Magic isn't real." Harry rapidly replied absentmindedly as he looked around worried that the kidnappers had followed them. Feeling something pulling him forward, Harry entered the next room where he found food. To his surprise he found soup and a box of stale crackers along with a whole bunch of stuff he didn't recognize.

He didn't know how he knew but he was sure he had been there before. There was a refrigerator that when he opened he found milk that was fresh in spite of the vast evidence that no one had lived in the house in forever. Hearing the footsteps of the other boy, he turned and looked at him as Draco glanced around and then said "Why did you bring us here?"

Shrugging, Harry said "I didn't mean to. I have no idea even where here is. The good news is that there is something to eat, so we won't starve."

Harry managed to figure out the stove and asked Draco to find them some glasses for the milk and or the orange looking juice that the other boy said was pumpkin juice.

In the comfortable front parlor, seated on the long sofas near the now lit fireplace, they ate their meal and Draco told Harry how he had ended up kidnapped. Soon Draco was looking at Harry and then asked "What was up with your weird muggle aunt, why was she so nasty."

Harry shrugged and said "She has always been that way. My bedroom at home is identical to the cupboard you were held in. My parents died in a car accident after my dad drove drunk. I was in the car and the only one who lived. She hates that she got stuck with me."

"It must have been your magic that saved you." Draco said knowledgeably. "Still, maybe when we get to my dad he can find a way so that you don't have to go back to those horrible muggles, after all, you are a wizard."

The two boys never noticed that there was a bright light surrounding the house as they tried to figure out what to do next. They never noticed how tired they were growing or how thick quilts floated out of the chest being used as a coffee table to cover them in the cool fall weather.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

Lucius Malfoy looked at Severus Snape and then his wife, Narcissa who was barely holding it together. Their son had been missing almost thirty-six hours and both of them were worried what the kidnapper would do to him. Handing Severus the note, he asked "Does this signature look familiar to you?"

Severus read the note and then frowned, "It does but I don't know where from. Are you sure that it is a former Death Eater who grabbed Draco?"

Running his hands through his now messy hair, Lucius grimaced and said. "I was until I got this note. I think it was more a hope, because at least they would know that I would kill them if they harmed my son. If it isn't a Death Eater, I am apprehensive of what they would do to Draco."

Going to his desk and picking up the earlier note, he handed it over to Severus to read. "I bribed my account representative at the bank and learned that the vault is one that belonged to Goren Edgars. He has been presumed dead since that battle with Sirius Black."

"Yes, but Black wasn't who we thought he was, now was he?" Severus said frowning as he thought of the Marauder who had betrayed Lily. "What if he is alive?"

Lucius saw Narcissa looking his way, the fear now palpable in her eyes and admitted his secret. "He blamed me for his brother's death. The Dark Lord killed Lando Edgars after he botched a raid, but Goren blamed me because I was unable to lead the group that night. He is the sort that might come after me through my son. He certainly is enough of a coward."

"We paid the ransom, why haven't they released our son?" Narcissa was demanding tearfully as she paced back and forth biting her knuckle as she tried to keep from sobbing out loud.

Severus felt the tug on his magic and winced at the terrible timing of it. He had felt the intrusion on the wards at Lily's grave site and found it hard not to apparate out to make sure that no one had attempted to desecrate her grave. He just had to hope that it was the werewolf, once again going to confess his weaknesses to his idiotic friend whose choice in friends had gotten Lily killed.

Lucius felt powerless to rescue his son, something he truly hated. The reason he had originally joined the Death Eaters was because he had never wanted to feel weak again, but that had not worked out the way he had expected. Now, after the death of the Dark Lord he had vowed to never subjugate himself ever again but to get his son back, he would do just about anything anyone wanted.

Holding his wife as she cried on his shoulder, he stood there staring out the window across their estate wishing for an answer to his questions. He was rubbing her back to help console her when he saw Severus wince yet again. "What is it?"

"Someone crashed through some wards I set up. It's tugging at my magic." Severus said. "It's fine. I will take care of it when we get Draco back. Whoever did it is now trapped behind the wards until I set them free."

Lucius was about to tell him to go when he saw a house elf pop into the great salon. "Master Malfoy sir...I's located wheres Master Draco's magic is."

Lucius tightly grabbed his house elf and demanded he take him to his son. Severus and Lucius both reached for the elf and were taken to a muggle house. The identical looking houses told them that they were in a middle class neighborhood, and the for sale sign in front of an empty house told them where Draco had to have been held.

Finding Draco's signet ring on the floor, Lucius knelt by the open cupboard door and looked at Severus who was using his wand to look for magic. Seeing the light red mist that he knew was the Cruicatus curse, he stood and vowed to make the kidnappers play for harming his child.

Looking around the house and then moving to the open doors, Severus saw that there had been some sort of confrontation in the back garden. Finding broken branches on the nearby hedge, Severus followed the footprints as he saw the two different spots with multiple footprints.

"Look." He said pointing that there were two sets of smaller footprints as well as two sets of adult prints. There had been wards against muggles but they appeared to have collapsed leading Lucius to believe that the kidnappers were gone along with his son.

"Who is the other kid?" Lucius asked as they realized that somehow Draco had escaped his kidnappers. The question became had he been recaptured and where were they now? Looking at Severus who seemed to have found something, he transfigured his clothes to something more muggle and then followed him as he strode down the sidewalk.

Severus tracked the odd wards he felt as they walked two blocks. Standing in the middle of the muggle sidewalk, he looked at Lucius and said "Do you feel those wards?"

"Yes, but they aren't the same as what we just left. They are stronger, more permanent." He stated looking around as if Draco might just appear. "What do you think? A muggleborn or half blood lives nearby? Do you think that they had something to do with kidnapping Draco?"

Severus tensed up when he saw the horse faced woman exiting a nearby house and heard a familiar voice calling out in a peevish tone for Harry. Shocked to realize where they were, he looked at Lucius and saw that the wizard was not really paying any attention to the muggle, that he was looking around in a desperate hope that his son would magically appear.

"Lucius, have the elves try to track the magical signatures from this area. I am going to speak to the muggle over there." He ordered then saw the blond leave to do as he had suggested. Approaching the woman he hadn't seen in years, he hid his sneer as he coldly declared "How interesting, if it isn't Petunia Evans."

The woman blanched and stared at the dark haired man standing in her front garden. "What do you want, Severus Snape? What are you doing here?"

"Strangely enough, I was just in the neighborhood. I heard you shouting for Harry. I am guessing that it is Lily's son you were calling for. Am I right?"

When she seemed to grow even paler, he was curious to find out what that was about but he would deal with those questions later. Right now he had to track down his missing godson. Looking around, waiting for her nephew to answer her page so he could get a glimpse of Lily's son, he inquired "So, how are you doing, Tunie?"

She glared at him and said "My name is Petunia. If you are just trying to annoy me, go away, Severus. I am busy."

Stepping back, Severus heard her go inside and speak to a fat slob who was just inside wearing a frown. Listening to her complaining about 'that freak not coming home on time yet again that night' Severus couldn't help wondering if the boy with Draco was Harry.

When no one showed up, he saw the man who had been standing in the doorway of number four Privet Drive slammed and locked the door. Severus went back to the house where he was convinced that Draco had been held. Seeing Lucius snapping at his elves, Severus looked at the man. "I found out what is going with the wards. I think that the Headmaster put them up."

"Why?" Lucius asked. "Never mind, I don't care what that muggle loving fool is up to. I just want to get my son back."

Finding nothing, they went back to Malfoy manor and Lucius comforted his wife while Severus stood at the window trying to figure out what was nagging at him. He was almost sure that Draco was with the Potter boy but where were they and how had they gotten there.

The werewolf ran and ran, finding it difficult to be alone. He had been that way for six and a half long years but this full moon was worse than normal.

At dawn as he came back to his senses in the middle of the North Woods, he limped towards his new flat in Godric's Hollow. He had come back to the small Welsh town were he had lost his friends, needing a connection to them.

Passing the empty and desolate house near the tombstones, Remus saw the flickering light and he stilled, horrified by the idea of someone being in the cottage. Moving closer very carefully, he sniffed the air. He smelled two distinct scents, both of them young boys.

Sniffing the air, the werewolf in him recognizing a member of his pack in spite of it being years since he had been around it. Moaning in pain at the loneliness he felt at the scent; he fought to remain in human form.

Pulling his wand out of his holder, he bypassed the wards still angry and yet grateful at Snape for setting them and entered the house for the first time since the death of James and Lily. Moving quietly towards what seemed to be a fire in the fireplace, he curious as to how the children had gotten past the wards. He stopped in the doorway, stunned at what he saw.

Gasping in shock, he moaned out "H-harry? No, it can't be."

In front of him were two boys fast asleep on the two sofas. They were covered up by the thick quilts that Lily had brought back from a trip to Ireland. Not wanting to scare Harry especially with the scratches and bruising on his face, he looked at the other boy.

Blinking a bit at how the boy looked vaguely familiar, Lupin went to the door and sat down on the outdoor furniture, needing to breathe, to gain control before the boys woke up.

He didn't want to overwhelm them with his physical presence, nor did he want to pressure them with questions about how they had gotten past the strong wards that James had... Realizing the stupidity of that thought, Remus knew that Harry would have been able to enter, after all he was the son of Prongs.

Severus woke up and twisted his neck to relieve the pain from falling asleep in the wing backed chair. Trying to figure out why he felt so awake, he grimaced as he realized that once again the wards in Godric's Hollow had been breached.

Looking at Lucius who was holding a sleeping Narcissa, he stated. "I am going to check on my wards. They were breached again just a few minutes ago."

"Is it possible that Draco went to your house?" Lucius asked hopefully, the dark circles under his eyes were rather prominent but it was the deep lines on his face that had Severus wishing he could give his friend hope.

"It's not my house." He said. "I have wards around Godric's Hollow at Lily Potter's grave. Twice in the last two days they have been breached. I wasn't too worried yesterday because the werewolf moved nearby recently, but he would be too weak this morning to be entering the wards."

Severus promised to be back in a few hours before exiting the house and apparating to Godric's Hollow. Seeing a pale Lupin sitting on the porch, he growled and walked up. "Would you stop setting off the wards."

Scoffing, the man looked up at him then it hit him who the boy sleeping on the sofa across from Harry was. "Let me guess you are looking for the Malfoy heir?"

"How do you know?" Severus asked his eyes narrowing as he looked at the werewolf. He didn't think that the man had kidnapped the boy, but he was never going to trust anyone completely.

"Inside." Remus said standing and leading the way inside. Showing him the two boys fast asleep wrapped up in the quilts, he said "I saw the light from the fireplace when I was heading home this morning."

Severus felt his legs grow weak as he took in his sleeping godson and then looked at Lily's son who was asleep on the opposite sofa. "I felt something trigger the wards yesterday evening but I don't get how they ended up here. They were down past London, Lupin. How did they get here?"

Harry was half conscious when he heard the two male voices. They weren't the same as the two kidnappers but he wasn't going to take any chances. He would eavesdrop as long as he could. He knew he was tired and that he would fall back asleep but he wanted information in case they were partners with the men who had grabbed his new and only friend.

"I haven't seen Harry since that night." He heard the soft raspy voice saying from across the room. "He looks so much like James."

"He is, what, eight now?" The baritone voice asked. "I was looking for Draco and saw Lily's sister Petunia yesterday. She hasn't changed a bit. Still a bitter angry woman who hates anything different from herself. I heard her calling for the boy last night. I was a surprised that the Headmaster would put Harry with her."

"He told me that Harry was with his relatives, I thought he meant Lily's parents. She always said that Petunia resented her for being a witch." Lupin frowned. "I remember that they put it in their will that Harry was not to end up with Petunia and her husband."

Harry almost gasped in spite of how exhausted he was, what did that voice mean that his mother was a witch.

"I am more interested in how two boys who were in Little Whinging ended up in Wales." The darker voice stated. "I have to let Lucius know that Draco is fine."

"What is Draco doing with Harry?" The softer voice asked while wearing a frown.

"That is another question we need answers to. Stay here with them. We know that there were two kidnappers and that they used the Crutastius curse on someone. Stay with them. I will be back." Harry heard the sound of fading footsteps and drifted back to sleep, almost certain that the two voices didn't mean Draco or him any harm.

Severus exited the house and apparated directly to the Malfoy estate. Entering the manor house at full speed, he called out for Lucius and Narcissa. "He's fine."

They quickly came running and Severus declared "He is at Godric's Hollow with Harry Potter of all people."

"What?" Lucius asked.

"How is that possible, I though Godric's Hollow was in Scotland." Narcissa said wearing a confused expression on her face.

"Wales, but we can talk about that later." Severus said as he reached out for Narcissa, knowing that Lucius had been to Godric's Hollow. Side apparating Draco's mother to the small back garden near the graves, he led the way to the porch where Remus Lupin was now seated. "Why are you outside?"

"Both boys are still asleep. Harry woke up for a few minutes but seemed to fall back to sleep when I moved out to the hallway." Lupin said. Looking at the Malfoys, he said "Your son is fast asleep."

"Does he look all right?" Narcissa asked and Lupin waved her in and followed her. He knew that the woman was all about her son in the moment but he wasn't going to chance leaving her alone with a vulnerable Harry Potter. Never again would anyone with Black blood be allowed to fool him.

Severus and Lucius followed, watched as Narcissa woke up Draco when she threw her arms around her son and began pressing kisses onto his face. All three of the men let out quiet chuckles when Draco let it go for a moment, until he woke up and tried to wiggle away from her.

"Mother. Mom, please...I don't want my friend to see you treating me like a baby." The sound of Draco being embarrassed woke Harry up and he sat up to see three men standing near the doorway and a woman hugging Draco while he tried to escape.

Letting out a small laugh while wishing someone cared about him that much, Harry said "Too late. So just let it happen, Draco."

Severus had known from rumors at Hogwarts how much Harry looked like his father, but no one had mentioned how his bright green emerald eyes were all Lily. Finding it hard to tear his eyes away from the Boy-Who-Lived, he saw his Godson rolling his eyes and just letting his mother tightly embrace him.

Narcissa was asking Draco if he was in pain or if he wanted something to eat at the same time she was running her hands over his hair and trying to make it lie flat.

"I'm fine, Mother." Looking over to the doorway where his dad, his godfather, and a shabbily dressed man were standing, he said "Hello Father."

At those words, Draco found himself being hugged by his father and this time he didn't protest the embrace since physical affection from his father was a rare event. When his father had pulled back to ask him what he remembered, he scooted out from under the quilt and over to where Harry was seated.

"I don't remember much." He said with a slight frown. "I was flying outside on the pitch and then I woke up in a dark cupboard. My ring with the emergency portkey was gone and I could hear the sound of two men talking about sending you a letter demanding money."

"Did the voices sound familiar?" His godfather asked.

"No. The next thing I remember is the shorter one; the one Harry called Mr. Twitchy was pointing his wand at me and then all I felt was pain." Draco said his voice catching as he recalled the pain.

Severus pulled a potion out of his pocket and handed it to Draco. "Here take this. It will lessen the effects of the curse."

"Harry should have some then, too. He was crucioed too." Draco said and watched as his godfather handed Harry a matching potion. Seeing his new friend hesitate, Draco removed the stopper and drank it straight down then grimacing encouraged Harry to do the same.

Harry did so, almost spitting it out; it tasted that terrible but he was grateful he didn't when the aches and pains he had been feeling just seemed to ebb away.

"What happened next?" Narcissa asked now that her son seemed less stiff.

"I was locked in the cupboard overnight and when I woke, I heard the two kidnappers talking then Mr. Twitchy cursed me again." Draco said his voice trailing off. "I screamed, and he seemed to take pleasure in making me cry. He left after that and the next thing I knew Harry had unlocked the cupboard and was helping me escape. We ran into a couple of muggle boys who were chasing Harry and got trapped between them and the kidnappers."

"Harry, how did you know where Draco was?" The shabbily dressed man asked.

Harry hesitated then thought about his promise to Draco to tell the other boy's parents the truth about his cousin and how he had ended up in the hedge, he said "We had a spelling test as school that day and I wasn't feeling too good so I wasn't paying any attention and did well on it."

Severus looked at Remus, wondering if he understood what the boy was saying because he certainly didn't. The werewolf looked just as confused but they were soon furious as they were told the rest.

"I get in trouble with my aunt and uncle for doing better than Dudley in school and he was able to get home first to tell because my teacher accused me of cheating and gave me detention because my aunt went to the school and told them earlier this year that I cheated on tests. I don't but they don't like it when I get good grades." He said with a shrug.

"Anyhow, after my detention, I was heading home when Dudley and his gang showed up and began taunting me that I was in trouble. I ran and ended up in the back alley behind the empty house. There are these really thick hedges that are perfect to hide in and the cat lady, Ms. Figg lives nearby. Dudley avoids her because she keeps insisting on inviting him in for tea so I knew I was fairly safe."

Harry took a deep breath and wasn't looking up or he would have seen both the dark haired man and the other man still in the doorway both frowned at the words cat lady and Ms. Figg. "I was hiding when I heard the two kidnappers talking. I figured out they were holding someone but couldn't go to the police because my aunt and uncle lied to them and blamed me when Dudley made false 999 calls. I was just glad that I was with my aunt at the grocery store that day otherwise they would have believed Dudley when he tried to blame it on me. I still got a talking to from the police for the false alarms. I was warned by my uncle that if I told the truth I would be stuck in my cupboard for a week with nothing to eat. Now if I was to call the police they would ignore the call."

Severus was now gripping his hand into a fist and saw that the werewolf was in danger of exploding as Harry matter of factually told them his story. "So since I couldn't go for help, I knew I had to rescue him myself. I went back after school the next day and waited. Luckily, the kidnappers left again and I was able to get inside the house. I got Draco out of the cupboard and we were about to escape when Dudley and Piers saw us."

Draco took over and said "We stayed quiet but couldn't move. The tall kidnapper saw Harry's fat muggle cousin and stupefied him for some reason and then went back inside the house. His friend brought back this nasty muggle woman and they took the kid away. We were going to escape when the tall kidnapper came out and that was the last thing I remembered."

"The tall one did the same thing to Draco that he did to Dudley and then grabbed me. He called for his partner and Mr. Twitchy seemed to know who I was when he saw my scar." Harry said brushing his fringe forward and frowning when Draco's parents gasped as they stared at him.

"Anyhow, the tall one asked Mr. Twitchy who I was but he, Mr. Twitchy I mean passed out for some reason. The tall wizard slapped me and then I landed on the ground near Mr. Twitchy's wand." Harry said looking around for the wand. "It felt warm when I touched it. The next thing I knew was this feeling of really bad pain, like I was struck by lightning."

"It ended and he kept demanding to know who I was and then saw my scar. He said that he had just gotten lucky and I saw him try to do that thing again with his wand and I ducked so that it hit Mr. Twitchy. I just kept thinking, I wanted it to stop and the next moment the tall guy went flying to the other end of the alley and into the brick wall."

"It was so cool. He just was gone." Draco said gleefully told the adults.

"He started to chase us and we were trapped until I realized that our only way to safety was to go through the house." Harry said. "We arrived on Privet Drive and ran to the park. I just kept thinking that I wanted to be someplace safe and then next thing I knew, we were here."

Narcissa looked at Severus, Remus and her husband and saw their speculative looks at the two boys and thought to herself that this kidnapping might have been a good thing. She had her own wishes for her son and they weren't to follow his grandfather or father's footsteps.

Lucius had not been given a choice. He had been given to the Dark Lord as a gift by his father but his own views were aligned more with the Dark Lord's than with Dumbledore's. Well, their son, he would have the choice that his father hadn't. She could see that Draco felt a kinship with the Potter boy, who she saw was more than just the Boy Who Lived and obviously a very strong wizard already at the age of eight.

"Harry, has anyone told you what this place is?" Narcissa gently asked and ignored the way that Severus and Remus Lupin tensed up.

"No, I uh, I sort of feel like it is familiar to me, but I don't know why." He admitted while looking around the cottage.

"Your parents and you stayed here for almost sixth months when you were a baby, Harry." Remus said as he moved forward to talk to the little boy he had so long wanted to spend time with. Sitting in the chair nearest Harry, he winced at the pain he felt from his late night activities. Seeing a vial being handed to him, he looked at Snape and after a moment drank it, letting the potion remove the aches and pains.

"Mr. Potter." Lucius saw the boy look his way and said "We owe you more than I can ever say. Thank you."

Looking at Draco, Harry said "No thanks necessary. I uh, just did what anyone would do."

Lucius asked the two boys if they would be able to give a description of the two men wanting to get Draco out of there before Severus and the wolf told the boy what his relationship to the house was.

When both boys began to talk, he listened to what they had to say but it didn't fit anyone he was familiar with who was still alive. If they were older he would ask Severus to look at their memories but it was a huge risk at their age.

"Draco, it's time we took you home." Narcissa gently said. Looking at Harry then over to where Severus was watching the boy with a contemplative look on his face, she asked "Harry, I think that if you are honest with these two men, they will be able to help you so that you don't have to go home to your relatives if you don't want to."

Draco and Harry promised to stay in touch, Harry not having much hope that that would actually happen but impulsively reached out to him when it was time for the blond to leave. The two boys grinned at one another and then Lucius pulled his son close and nodding at Harry said thank you again before they walked out of the cottage.

Harry heard the distant sound of the the pops he associated with magic then saw the other two men looking at him and then one another. He wasn't sure who they were but the way that they looked at him was very different than the disgusted look that was frequently on his aunt and uncle's faces.

"I guess the first thing we should do is introduce ourselves." The shabbily dressed man said with a slightly sad expression on his face. Holding out his hand he said "My name is Remus Lupin, Harry. I was friends with your parents. I am sorry that you ended up with your aunt, I believed you were living with your grandparents."

Harry's eyes went to the more taciturn man who said "My name is Severus Snape and I was a friend of your mother's. We grew up in the same neighborhood and attended Hogwarts together. Harry, Mr. Malfoy is correct about if you tell us the truth, we will do what we can to protect you from your family."

The Potion's professor knew that look of confusion, that half scared/half hopeful look, he had once wore it himself when he had gone to Madam Pomfrey for help his first year at Hogwarts.

Harry found it hard to speak.

Severus sat down on the sofa across from Harry and looking at Lupin said "I have to head back to Hogwarts. Albus will notice I am missing. He agreed to cover my classes so that I could help find Draco but its better if I return. When Harry has told you what has been going on, we will figure out our next step."

"We need to find out what Figg knows and why she didn't do anything or tell anyone." Lupin said with a frown. "I would be willing to bet that there is more to the story than we know."

I will pay attention to how Albus reacts over the next week." Snape said as he looked at Harry. With that, he looked at Remus and said: "Will you be fine?"

"Yes," Remus replied knowing exactly what the other wizard was asking him. Severus, after all, had had first-hand experience with the werewolf he turned into once a month.

"If you need anything send an owl," Severus stated before looking at Harry, the emerald color of the child's eyes and his small size reminding him so very much of Lily.

Remus looked around the dusty room and pulled out his wand. Using standard household charms, he soon had the house cleaned up. Noticing the two dirty bowls with empty drink glasses nearby, he was debating whether or not to take Harry to his place or stick around the house where his friends had lost their lives.

Before he could decide, there was a quiet pop and a mound of food baskets, several piles of clothes that looked like they were Harry's size and other wrapped packages along with a rolled bit of parchment.

Opening it, he saw that it was from Lucius Malfoy and winced as he read what the dark wizard had written. In it, the man had pointed out that the Malfoy family owed Harry a life debt.

Severus was rather surprised to realize that the Headmaster wasn't acting any different than normal over the next week. He had been in contact with the werewolf and had not been happy to find out that the boy's situation was as bad as they had suspected.

Lucius had contacted him, telling him that Draco was eager to visit with his new friend, but that until they figured out who the kidnappers were and how they had gotten through the wards at the Malfoy estate, he was confining his son to the house. He had also been curious regarding the health and welfare of the Potter boy.

He was suggesting that Severus convince Remus Lupin to bring the Potter boy over for a visit to his estate. Severus finished reading the note and joined his fellow professors at the breakfast table just as Albus did. "Headmaster."

"How is the Malfoy boy?" He inquired.

"Better, we only wish we knew who had kidnapped him." Severus replied. The official story was that the kidnappers had released the boy after receiving their ransom, Lucius wanted to have the chaos surrounding the situation die down before searching any deeper.

"Good, good," Albus replied as Minerva leaned in to ask Severus if he was ready for the game that afternoon.

"My good tumblers are just awaiting that very nice bottle of scotch you are going to owe me tomorrow." He replied with a smirk on his face. Minerva had a novice seeker in fourth year student Charlie Weasley, but her chasers were weak with only Charlie's brother Bill still playing from the previous year and their keeper, well it was better left unsaid about how terrible he was.

Severus had recently learned that first year student Oliver Wood from Gryffindor was talented in that position but he had no intention of passing on such news to his rival head of house, let Minerva figure it out herself, until then he would enjoy the spoils of war.

Remus looked at young Harry, he had been working on the young boy's school work, trying to figure out what he knew and what he didn't know. Harry could read rather well, but it was clear that he needed new glasses and that those he had were not the correct perscription.

Thanks to the clothes that the Malfoy's had sent, James' son was at least warmly dressed as they sat out on the back patio. The two wizards had often spoken of his parents over the last fourteen days and Harry had cried when he had learned the truth about their deaths.

Remus had considered not telling him, but felt that the truth was better than the lie that the Dursleys had fed him. To his surprise, when he had apparated to Little Whinging, he had found out that there was no information regarding a missing child. The Dursleys had kept silent that their nephew had not returned home.

He had done a little sleuthing and confirmed that Harry's Mrs. Figg was Anabelle Figg, former member of the Order of the Pheonix and squib. He had also looked at the house that the kidnappers had used and to his surprise had noticed an oddly familiar scent that he just couldn't identify.

Now, after having done a bit of soul-searching, Remus was considering disappearing with young Harry, maybe to America or Australia. There was no way that he was sending James and Lily's son back to that horrible house.

He was already plotting things out when he heard Harry announcing that he was finished with his math homework. Remus checked it and other than it being a bit messy, it was perfect. Grateful that he still recalled a lot of the school work he had done himself as a small child being homeschooled, he went to locate the magical history book and assigned the first chapter to the small boy.

"What about my muggle books?" Harry asked biting his lip. Seeing Remus looking confused, he said "I uh, well, Aunt Petunia doesn't like me to have them, but I uh, brought my history book home, she didn't stop me because she wanted me to do Dudley's homework essay for the class."

"Would you like me to retrieve the book?" Remus inquired.

"I don't want to go back, so no, not if it is going to expose my being gone," Harry said scared. "Could we maybe find one elsewhere. Like at a thirft store or something. My aunt once took me to one and it had lots and lots of old history book. I was reading about the Romans the day that I heard Draco's kidnappers."

"I will see what I can come up with." He announced as he considered a trip to Gringotts to find out what he could do for the small boy he considered his cub. "For now, let's go inside and I will tell you about the first time I met your Mom."

A week later, Remus was at the bank, feeling awkward to be there with Lucius Malfoy, but he had insisted on joining him in this errand. They had left Harry with Draco playing wizard chess while Narcissa supervised.

Draco had wanted to have them flying brooms, but they had to be careful, especially since they had not caught the kidnappers, Remus had pointed out that Harrry had never been on a broom and that they had no idea what sort of protections were on him.

"Have a seat." The grumpy goblin announced as he entered the room. Once seated across from the two wizards, he pulled out the file and then looking at Remus Lupin inquired about his client. "Are you here as young Harrison's guardian in the muggle world?"

"Why would you think that Mr. Lupin is his guardian?" Lucius inquired.

"According to the legal documents filed by James Potter and Lily Potter nee Evans, if on the occasion of their death before their son was seventeen, one Remus John Lupin was to be his guardian in the muggle world. One Sirius Orion Black was to be the same in the magical world."

"I was unaware of this, considering my lycanthropy it isn't a surprise," Remus stated.

"The paperwork on file with us lists you as the boy's muggle guardian. Do you wish to release this responsibility." Remus almost said yes when what he had almost agreed to hit him.

"Wait, does that mean that I have custody of Harry? That I could say, move elsewhere with him?" Remus inquired. "Say to Australia or America?"

"Yes, of course we would have to arrange for his stipend to be sent to you via the Gnomes as we don't have locations in America or Australia, but yes." The Goblin agreed.

"Stipend?" Remus asked. "The Dursleys have been getting a stipend for Harry?"

"Dursley?" The goblin pulled out the paperwork and said: "Are you telling me that your vault has not been receiving two hundred galleons a month for Mr. Potter?"

Remus was stunned for a moment then admitted "I have not been to my vault in years. I was unaware that it was still active. I had been told by a friend that it was emptied out years ago."

"I will return." the Goblin announced and then left for a few minutes, returning with a ledger and a key. Handing the key to the werewolf, he said "Our records show that the funds have been deposited monthly for the last six and a half years into your account. Before that it shows one Peter Pettigrew entered your vault with your key and a note to remove funds."

"Peter? No, it was Sirius according to..." Remus trailed off as he looked at the signature in the ledge. Sirius Black had many, many talents but forgery wasn't one of them. However, Peter was very capable of doing so. He had often written the notes that they had used to help get them out of trouble with the teachers while attending Hogwarts.

"I apologize." He told the Goblin as he asked to have a copy made of the ledger, his eyes widening as he saw his vault held over fifteen thousand galleons, more than enough to escape the country with Harry. "There was a miscommunication several years ago."

"Now, that we have dealt with your banking issues, I would like to know what to do with the funds and presents that many of his admirers have been sending to young Harrison Potter. Most of the money was placed in his vault, but there are deeds and very other items of an intrinsic value that we need guidance on."

"Do you have a list of such deeds, funds and items?" Remus said regaining his equilibrium. He noticed Malfoy was frowning as he looked at his ledger, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. When they had been handed the files, Remus went down to the vault and removed a hundred galleons with the intention of spoiling Harry a bit. Exchanging a few galleons and receiving muggles funds, he saw the distaste on Malfoy's face and reminded him that Harry had been living in the muggle world.

Back at the manor, they found the two boys laying on the floor of the study, perusing Quidditch through the ages. Narcissa greeted her husband and Harry's guardian then listened as they filled her in on all that they had learned that day.

"So, you already are Harry's guardian in the muggle world?" She inquired. The two boys had overheard the question and both went silent to await the hoped-for answer.

"Yes, I am sure that if pushed by Albus, it would be overturned, though. I am thinking of taking Harry out of the country to protect him." He admitted. "It still lists Sirius as his magical guardian."

"Bad business that. It never made any sense to me." Narcissa said with a slight frown on her face. "Sirius is the last person I would have ever expected to betray James Potter or his wife Lily. He also would never align himself with you, Lucius, nor with Bella. It just doesn't make sense."

"I wouldn't have believed it either, but how much do we really know about another person. That Peter would be the one to challenge Sirius for James' death, still, shocks me. He was never that brave." Remys said feeling guilty at that statement considering how bravely his friend had died.

"Pettigrew was a sniveling..."

"Sir?" Narcissa had stopped speaking the moment that Harry had suddenly shot up from where he had been lying, worried he had been upset about her statement regarding the wizard who had contronted her cousin for his misdeeds. When the boy repeated calling Lucius sir, she asked him if he was alright.

"That name, I heard that name from one of the kidnappers. He called the other one, the twitchy one that was a bit rotund Pettigrew."

"Harry, you must be mistaken." Remus gently admonished. "There is only one magical family named Pettigrew and Peter was the only son. I think that only his mother remained before her death. He died a few days after your parents."

"I don't know anything about that, just that I heard the tall wizard call the short twitchy one Pettigrew. When he told him to watch over the boy, Mr. Twitichy said something about having to get home before the Wesleys noticed he was missing. They argued about it, then Mr. Twitchy seemed to disappear."

"Wesley? I don't...you don't suppose he meant Weasley?" Narcissa said a look of hauteur taking over her face.

"That's it, that is what he said! Pettigrew said something about needing to get back before the Weasleys noticed he was missing." Harry replied.

"The short one said something about leaving them as soon as possible, getting sick and tired of being forced to live in a box for some reason, that the only good reason to stay was the food. That the boy kept him well fed even if he was rather sick of the kid trying to use his wand on him." Draco said as he sat up. "I heard him talking about it when he locked me in the cupboard.

Remus said, "Boys, Peter Pettigrew is dead, all they found of him was a missing finger."

The two boys gasped and looked at one another then turned pale before telling them. "He, he didn't have all of his fingers. I didn't think anything of it."

"Weasleys." Lucius said in dangerous tone as he stood and walked towards his front door. When his wife stopped, him he turned only for her to remind him that he couldn't exactly just appear at their doorstep and accuse them of harboring a criminal.

"She is right, especially since if the boys are correct, the Weasleys might not be harboring a criminal knowingly, more than likely they are harboring a rat hidden as a pet. Peter was an animagus."

"How on earth could Pettigrew when he barely had more magic than a squib managed to become an animagus?" Lucius asked scornfully.

Remus buried his head in his hands then with a weary expression said "Because James Potter would have been a brilliant teacher. Sirius and he figured it out and taught Peter. I have to go speak to Arthur."

"No, if you were to go, especially now, when he is suspicious as a result of the botched kidnapping, he would rabbit." Lucius replied then with a cold expression on his face said "However, I have someone that owes me. I have the perfect way of handling this."

Two days later, Albus Dumbledore was arriving in the Great Hall when an owl landed at his customary seat. Reading the parchment, he handed it to Minerva and said to his professors. "I am needed at the Ministry. A previously escaped death eater has been caught."

Leaving the school, Albus exited the wards, enjoying the last of the beautiful fall days before the onset of winter. Apparating to London and taking the floo from the Leaky Cauldron to the Ministry, he saw the uptick in activity and that there were several reporters milling around, clearly looking for a story.

When the newly minted Rita Skeeter, the gossip reporter for the Daily Prophet joined him in the lift, Albus was polite but firm when he refused to give her a statement. In the Wizengamot, he found several aurors hurrying onlookers to their seats, a few guarding witness doors and several of his fellow members looking as confused as he was.

The new Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge strolled in with an entourage that were soon spread out between their seats and those for the Ministry staff. A clerk entered and a scowling Barty Crouch was glaring at Amelia Bones who was trying to usher him into a witness room.

Eventually, she won the battle and Albus watched as Alastor Moody nodded his way before exiting the courtroom. Several minutes later, the din had settled down to a dull roar when Amelia Bones went over to speak to her soon to be retired boss, the Head of the Department of Law Enforcement, Tolliver Wood.

He shooed her towards the podium and she looked a bit harassed as she told the Chief Warlock, that they were ready to proceed. He nodded and opened the session before turning the lecturn over to her.

"We are here to right a wrong, an injustice perpatrated by a mere wizard, not a criminal mastermind. A man who escaped justice through inefficiency and expedience." She announced. "Six and a half year ago, almost to the day, a wizard escaped facing charges by faking his death. This wizard committed heinous crimes and then allowed an innocent man to be blamed for them. Today, we will be righting this wrong."

Amelia took a deep breath, knowing that her next words would make her career even if at first they had her looking insane. "Auror Moody, please bring in the accused."

A small cage was carried into the room and sat on a table. There was some strained laughter in the court but that all ended when Moody pointed his wand at the cage and turned the rat into a human.

"The case of the Ministry of Magic against Peter Pettigrew is ready to proceed." There was bedlam for a moment as most in the room realized who the dumpy little man cringing in the cage was. "Pettigrew is facing 14 charges of first-degree murder, 2 charges of second-degree murder, one charge of attempted murder, of being an illegal animagus and lastly of being a member of a terrorist organization."

"During our investigation, we found there to be enough evidence of wrong doing to administer veritiaserum." She announced. Looking at the two entering aurors she asked. "Please administer the correct dose to the suspect."

Amelia saw the shock and horror had begun to fade from the faces of those around her, now, there was anger and fear on their faces. To her shock, that included Albus Dumbledore. Once Kingsley Shacklebolt had dosed Pettigrew she began to question him.

"Are you Peter Pettigrew?"

"Yes."

"Are you a death eater?"

"Yes."

"When did you join the death eaters?"

"1979." He replied.

"Why did you join the death eaters?"

"I was sick and tired of always being the one that no one respected. I wasn't smart like Remus, Rich, smart or powerful as the others. It wasn't fair. I deserved more. Potter had everything, then he had to marry that muggleborn. She, who was a nobody thought she was better than me. I heard, her, I heard her telling him that she wasn't comfortable around me. She told him, she told him that she didn't trust me."

Peter went on and one, then added "Then he married her, had that mewling little brat, he could already do magic within days after being born, it wasn't fair, he was a mere half-blood. I hated him, that brat was little more than a drooling animal that cried and pooped all the time. Yet, HE spent more time with it than me. I was his friend since first year, yet he ignored me for that brat or when we would see each other, all he did was go on and on about that kid of his. When I heard that my master was looking for him, hated it that I couldn't tell him where he was, I ached with it."

"Your master?"

"The Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort." He replied with a grin on his face that turned triumphant for a moment. "Then it happened. Black, who should have known better, who thought that no one would ever suspect stupid weak Peter Pettigrew of being the Potter's secret keeper. He suggested we switch the spell to me. I was thrilled. I had to hide how happy I was as they did the ritual. I no sooner left Godric's Hollow than I ran to my true master. It was so easy. I changed into my animagus form and entered his throne room. I had to wait until it emptied out, he called me his secret weapon. He loved me above all, even that bitch Bellatrix couldn't do for him what I could."

"What did you do, Pettigrew?"

"I told him, I offered to lead him to them, right away, but he wanted to wait. He wanted his greatest triumph to be on Halloween. I exited the manor and returned to my place and went back to playing secret agent, but I knew, I just knew that when it was over, no one would ever again laugh at poor pathetic Peter Pettigrew. I even helped myself to what little funds that stupid werewolf had in his vault. I wanted him to think it was Sirius, so that he wouldn't trust him. It worked. I won and they lost."

"What happened on Halloween?"

"I went to my master and he sent his death eaters out on their missions that evening then gave me the great honor of assisting him that night. We went to Godric's Hollow and I let him in through the wards. He killed the man who betrayed me first. I saw it from the doorway. I stood there laughing as James tried to fight my master then spat on his dead body while my master went upstairs to deal with the mudblood and the brat."

The gleeful tone went away and a puzzled one took it's place as Peter said. "But somehow, something the mudblood did stopped my master. I heard them, I heard him offering to let her live. I was horrified, why would he let her live, but she, the stupid bint refused, told him to kill her, not the brat. I heard him speaking, then nothing... no sounds. I heard the sound of someone apparating in and I fled. Later that night, I heard that loud and obnoxious dirty half giant blubbering away at the Three Broomsticks how the Potters were dead but that their mewling brat had defeated my master. He was wrong, it wasn't that brat, it was that mudblood."

"How do you know it was Lily Potter, not her son?" Amelia inquired.

"My master went silent after hitting her with Aveda Kendeva. I heard no more."

"How did you end up in a confrontation with Sirius Black the next day?"

"That idiot showed up in muggle London where I was hiding out, tried to arrest me, can you believe it?" He said in a sneering tone. "It was so easy to turn the tables on him, He was such a wreck. I knew that I could escape using my animagus form, I just needed to figure out a way to make it look like I was dead so that I could escape. So I used a cutting hex to remove my finger, but I didn't want it to hurt, so I overpowered it, which caused the entire street to explode. I escaped in the chaos."

"So you killed the thirteen muggles?" She asked wanting it on record.

"It was his fault, he should have just left me alone. Their blood is on his hands. He should have known that I didn't care about any stupid stinking muggles." He snapped. "I ran to the sewers and escaped to the edge of London and then slipped onto the muggle train until I heard the conductor announcing Ottery Catchpole. I remembered there were several magical families nearby and I wanted to know if my plan worked."

"Which it did."

"It worked even better than expected. It was perfect. Black went to prison for my crimes and I was free. I loved it. I took so much pleasure in how the papers blackened his name, how Barty Crouch went on and on about how bad blood will out. I was holding my breath, then it got even better as the truth about Crouch's own son came out. However, I was caught that night, by this idiot boy who was sure that I was magical because he caught me reading the newspaper."

"That would be Percy Weasley, the son of Arthur Weasley?"

"Yes, the boy put me in a box and kept me there. The only good thing was that he fed me. At the beginning of the summer he got a wand. I waited until he went to sleep and then used it to turn myself back into a wizard for the first time in years. I left the house and went to my mother's old place. I found my wand where the Ministry had sent it to her after my supposed death. I considered not going back, but it was the perfect hiding place."

"The kidnapping of the Malfoy heir. How did that come about?" She asked.

"Oh, I was looking into what happened to the other death eaters. I found one who was still alive. The youngest Edgars boy who was initated just before myself. I wasn't sure if he knew me. I found him hiding out at the family home, broke. I listened to him blaming Malfoy for his perdictament and thought about how stinking rich the family was so I made a plan. He agreed to help for an equal share of the galleons."

"What happened next?"

"I went to check on a place to hide the kid, I saw that old squib, Araballa Figg and followed her back to where she lived intending to use her house, but it was full of cats." He said shuddering. "We used that I was an animagus to get onto the grounds of the Malfoy estate, I grabbed the boy and then we held him at this empty house I had located down the street from Figg. When I returned the second day, something had gone wrong. Some boy had freed the annoying kid. He looked like James Potter had as a kid, then...then it turned out he was the Potter boy and Edgars lost him. We ran and I went back to the Weasleys. I knew that I was safe hiding out there for now."

"When we found you, you fired a hex at one of my aurors." She prompted.

"I was sure I was safe, but Percy had his youngest brother watching over me during the school year and Ron forgot to fed me. I was in the kitchen when Molly Weasley let in an auror who had Remus Lupin with him. Before I could escape, they caught me, but I manage to take out that red headed bint who kept putting dresses on me. She kept dressing me up and she so deserved it." He said sounding happy to have killed again.

"You killed a seven-year-old girl," Amelia announced.

"She deserved it." Peter belligerently announced.


	9. Chapter 9 Remus Returns to Life

Untitled HP#1

Chapter One

"It is our choices, far more than our abilities that show us who we really are." JK Rowling

Remus Lupin sat in Death's waiting room, reeling in pain at the knowledge he had died. He had known that it was a good possibility, had even understood that he had escaped death during the first war with Voldemort. He had lived his life with the knowledge that this might happen sooner rather than later for him, but with meeting and falling in love with Dora, and fathering Teddy some part of him had thought that it wouldn't happen.

"Mr. Lupin, follow me." A tall woman with long blond hair and wearing a silver gown said as she checked his name off a list. Walking past others who had also lost their lives in the war, he never saw Fred Weasley, never saw Severus Snape and never noticed a handsome young man named Tom Riddle looking around fearfully before two large muscular angels grabbed him by his arms and led him off to his own interview.

Remus sat in the small office still in a sense of stunned disbelief at the offer he had received. A chance to go back, to make a difference. To save countless lives. As he once again read the file, read about how one simple choice made almost sixteen and a half years ago had ruined so many, many things, how once simple change would create a much different world, he was so angry with himself for his own choices, for the choices made at a such an immature age that had created the rift that had helped destroy his world.

Looking at the angel sitting across from him, he weakly asked "So you are saying is that making this one change, then allowing events to fall where they may will make all the difference in the world?"

"That is a simplified version, but yes." She answered. There are some events, some deaths that can't be prevents. There are certain events that have to begin the same but what happens afterwords, as you just read, that can be affected."

Remus fingered the edge of the file then stammering asked the question that scared him the most regarding his own future. "My wife and child..."

The woman gave him a warm smile and said "Nymphadora Tonks and you were fated to be together. Your son Teddy was meant to exist and his siblings as well. If you make these changes, you get to see his grandchildren graduate someday from Hogwarts, Mr. Lupin. Your wife and you live to a ripe old age with more children than Edward. Your friends live also change for the better."

Remus looked at the Angel of Death and said "Where do I sign up?"

"I will take care of that, but you do understand that this choice supersedes you receiving orders from anyone else. That your our answerable to us and no longer to Albus Dumbledore or anyone else with his Order of the Phoenix paramilitary organization." She cautioned.

Lupin gave the woman his usual lopsided smile and said "Even if my own life wasn't going to be better, I would owe it to James and Lily to fix things."

* * *

Tom Riddle was bewildered as to where he was as he was led into a small room and handcuffed to a table. He had attempted magic but had not even been able to succeed at a simple summoning charm. Hearing the sound of breathing and fearful at his loss of power, he spun around to see a beautiful yet terrifying woman standing in the doorway staring at him.

"Tom Riddle Junior, you have been judged and are to be sentenced for your crimes. Follow me." She ordered and didn't even bother to look at him before heading to the door on the other side of her office. Tom felt the mystical pull and soon found himself in a cold, large room with marble seats arranged in a straight area style order.

He was soon seated in a marble chair with his hands magically flattened onto the wide arm of the chair and his head stuck to the back of the headrest, unable to move as others entered and took their seats without a word to him.

"Tom Riddle you have been found guilty of crimes against humanity. You have been sentenced to purgatory until such a time as you repent for your crimes." The voice out of nowhere announced. The handsome boy looked around, trying to see who was speaking but all he felt was a ache in the back of his head.

When he tried to speak, tried to inform those in the room that he was a god among men, that they had no right to judge him, he saw the small woman standing in the center of the room and when she moved towards, him, he shuddered at how ugly and misshapen she was. "Get away from me. Who do you think you are? I am..."

"My son." The woman answered, her eyes filled with tears as she saw the revulsion on his face. Yes, you Tom Riddle are my son. My name is Merope Gaunt. I gave birth to you. I hoped that you would someday have the life I never got to live, instead you wasted your opportunities, you squandered any chance at a decent life and for what? Revenge on your father and on muggleborns for my crimes.

When he began to speak, he found himself unable to as Merope moved forward and said to him. "Oh, Tommy."

Wiping away her tears, Merope softly said "I know all that happened to you, I know what made you the way you are. I know that you felt like magic gave you power over those who rendered you powerless, but your choices, how you gained that power, was what led you to your doom. Your choices... this wasn't the life that fate had for you."

Merope touched her son's forehead and showed him the life he should have led with a dream. Watched his pain and horror grow exponentially the older he became in his dream. When he came out of his dream, his eyes met his mother's and he could only choke out the words "I am sorry."

"Terrible things happened in your childhood, Mr. Riddle, but others have had bad things happen and they didn't make the choices you did. There is nothing we can do to stop your punishment for your choices but in the end, you will find peace. The voice in the room announced and the next thing Tom Riddle knew, he was reliving his life, his choices as Lord Voldemort. His mother leaned over and whispered in his ears. You will have a chance to make another choice in the end. Please, remember son, I love you and if you make the right one, you will see me again.

Soon Death's waiting room was clear of the victims and perpetrators of the Battle of Hogwarts, The Angels of Death were gathered in a small antechamber with the Three Fates who had rather serene smiles on their faces as they realized that this time they had chosen the right champion of their cause.

Holding up glasses of ambrosia, Athena, Goddess of Wisdom nodded at Aphrodite, Goddess of Love then toasted the Angels of Death and the Fates. "To Long life for those who will guide this world into a more peaceful future, allowing us a chance to walk among the mortals again."

"To Remus Lupin, a warrior of the soul, mind and body." Ares said with a low chuckle as he joined his fellow immortals. I told you from the beginning, you need a warrior for this job. Athena, an academic like Minerva McGonagall, sees things her way, Aphrodite, you forgot that love has it's dark side, that jealousy like Severus Snape felt clouded his judgment.

* * *

Remus awoke in the small cottage he had been living in during the first war with Voldemort and his followers. Looking around, trying to recall why he had obeyed Albus Dumbledore in the first place all those years ago, he quickly showered and changed into fresh clothes.

Dressed, he apparated to a certain neighborhood, his heart pained by the knowledge that he had only been sent back AFTER the death of James and Lily. Looking around the muggle street, he saw that he had timed things perfectly as he noticed the basket on the stoop.

Looking around and then using his wand, he transferred the traces he found on it to the front door of the house so that they would rebound onto the young child already living there and then apparated away with the child.

Stopping at a nearby store, grateful he had often stopped to pick up the supplies that were ordered by his friends, he thought about what he had been told about where to hide and with a slight smile, quickly decided to use muggle transport to hide his destination from magic.

Three hours later, just as the sun was rising off in the east, he arrived at the wrought iron gates and looking down at the child asleep in his arms, winced before pricking his hand just enough to get blood flowing.

Wiping the blood on the gate and stepping inside when it opened, Remus called out for the Potter house elves and one quickly appeared. "This is your young master."

"Master Harry has returned as Lord Potter?" The house elf sadly announced before leading the way up to the large stone house that the family used as a vacation cottage. Once inside, Remus looked at the house elf who closed the door and warded it. When the house elf noticed his expression, he said unscrupulous wizards have attempted to breach  
the wards.

Now with wide eyes, Remus asked "Have the elves warded all of the Potter properties?"

Yes sir, we have." Replied the elf. "We also removed all property belonging to Master Harry to the attics here as ordered by Master James in case of his or the Lady Lily's death."

Remus winced at realizing that he had missed that thought during his previous life. The Headmaster had stated that Harry would gain the entire estate when he became an adult wizard when questioned by Sirius but now looking back he realized that the Headmaster had doubted Harry would survive his last confrontation with Voldemort.

Hearing rustling of the blankets, Remus realized that Harry would be waking up soon so he asked the house elf his name.

"I am Mismatch."The house elf announced before adding with a put upon sigh, "Master Charlus was allowed to name all house elves after he turned eleven and he had a rather odd sense of humor."

"Just like his son." Remus replied reminiscing for a moment before recalling why he had asked. "Mismatch, would it be possible to find a room to place Harry into. He will be waking up soon and needing fed.

"Yes, one moment." With that Mismatch left with a snap of his fingers and returned mere seconds later with a female house elf who he introduced. "This is Betty Boop."

"Lord Charlus strikes again?" Remus asked as he looked at the second house elf.

"Yes. Master Charlus saw a muggles plays." She announced. "He was a wonderful master who arranged for all of the house elves to be educated in the language of wizards and the greater world but he also had a rather fanciful turn. I was Mr. James' nanny and was hoping to be Master Harry's."

Remus turned Harry over to the elf so that she could change his diaper and arrange for his morning meal before requesting she teach him how to help. With a slight bow, she agreed and then stated "We be repairing and returning the Potter nursery to it's original state and it is awaiting the young master. Lady Dorea's portrait is here in the library, Mr Remus and she is requesting you attend to her immediately."

Remus nodded and with a heavy heart went to speak to Prong's mother. Seeing the dark haired and gray eyes woman who was staring off into the fireplace that was part of her portrait, he said "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Lady Potter."

"Remus..." She looked at the young werewolf and requested he be seated in the nearby Chippendale chair. "If my grandson is with you, where is my nephew?"

"I don't know." Remus said before adding "Madam. I have quite a tale to tell you and I am going to need your help and advice."

With that, Remus told her the entire story of his first go round and how things had been so messed up. When he finished, his voice trailed off and he was staring at the paisley swirl in the carpet, drained as he told her how the previous war had ended.

"They sent you back after the death of James and Lily?" She asked.

"Yes, they said that the events of last night had to happen." Remus said looking up at the woman who was now frowning as she absorbed his words.

Shaking her head, she stated "I will mourn my son and daughter later but for now, we must figure out how to protect my grandson and nephew."

"I was thinking we could have a house elf remove Sirius from Azkaban." Remus said.

"We can send food and comforts but unfortunately that is all that the wards will allow." She replied. "We must free Sirius legally."

"How?" Remus asked looking at the older woman. "No one would believe me about this even if I didn't mention the return in time. Not when I am a werewolf."

"Maybe not." She said with a serene smile on her face before saying "Were you aware that I was in Slytherin, my dear Remus?"

"I..." Remus found himself in shock as he thought about that statement. "Really? James was pure Gryffindor though."

"Oh course he was. The Potters are descendants of several magical lines including that of Godric Gryffindor and the Pervells."

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

If Found Please Return to Harry Potter at Hogwarts Castle. 

Chapter One

Severus's Ruined Summer Evening

Sitting on his sofa, his not the one in his quarter's at Hogwarts, Severus Snape was enjoying a peaceful cup of hot tea and some biscuits.

Hearing the doorbell, he ignored it, drinking a sip of his tea and turning the page in his newly delivered muggle mystery book. When there was the sound of knocking, he just ignored it, certain it was a mistake, until the quiet sound of the door unlocking forced him to put down his latest obsession.

When he saw the old man wearing garish clothes, he said: "The door was locked for a reason."

"My boy, I was sure that I was going to find you unconscious laying on the ground with an exploded potions cauldron next to you," Albus said with a wide smile on his face.

"Strangely enough Albus, I find I enjoy my summers to be potions free. Now perhaps you would care to tell me why you would so rudely interrupt what free time I have from those dunderheads you call students." He asked as he took another sip of his tea and in spite of a slight cough and stare from the old man at his teapot, refused to even think of offering him anything to drink.

Growling when the Headmaster sat down and conjured up himself a tea cup then poured some of his favorite Oolong tea out of the pot, Severus stated: "I'm waiting."

"Severus, were you aware that the Weasley family won the annual Prophet sweepstakes, this year?" Albus queried.

"Please tell me you didn't come all this way to ruin my evening by discussing one of those red-headed menaces." The raven haired man asked. "I take great pleasure in knowing that that woman has finally lost the ability to spring more of her unremarkable and uncouth offspring onto the world."

"Severus, now I know that the Weasleys has been a handful this year..." Albus began to speak only for Severus to snort. "They do mean well."

"Sir, I must beg to differ." He replied stiffly. "The youngest boy has the potions making skill of a limp-wristed gorilla and that girl has spent her entire first year either obsessed with a book she should have known better than to write in or with Potter. The twins, well they are at least adequate at potions but it doesn't make up for their deplorable lack of manners. The eldest boy who I am sure you will make the Head Boy this upcoming year is an ass kisser, who will make Potter's year as Head Boy seemed angelic because he can't control his own siblings and most of the student body treats him like the prat he is."

"That is if they return from Egypt," Albus said worriedly. Seeing Severus seem to perk up at the idea of a Weasley-free school year, he shook his head torn between amusement at the expression on his potions master's face or annoyance at it. "The entire family was arrested upon their entrance into the country."

Rolling his eyes, Severus asked "What happened? The twins prank the customs officials? Ronald offend them by eating their mascot, or did Geneva throw herself at yet another dark artifact?"

"I only wish it was so simple," Albus admitted. "I am afraid that Molly tried to smuggle in food products then..."

Hearing Severus trying to hide his need to snicker, the Headmaster had to admit that he had found himself smirking when he had heard what the woman had done until he had found out how serious it was. "That, however, was the least of the problems. It seems that young Ronald's pet rat was the issue."

Frowning, Severus said, "I still don't get why you allowed him to have a rat when Mr. Nott was refused permission to bring his lizard."

"Unfortunately, I was unaware that the rat had been here while it was the pet of young Percy." Severus frowned when he saw the heavy expression on the Headmaster's face.

"Albus, what is it?"

"All animals entering magical Egypt are given a magical physical. Mr. Weasley's pet turned out to be an animagus." Albus stated.

"Potter?" Severus asked resigned to having to head to Egypt to retrieve the boy who lived to make his life difficult.

"No, thankfully Mr. Potter hasn't mastered that skill yet," Albus stated while perking up at the idea he might attempt it given the right conditions.

"I don't see Granger even with her prodigious curiosity transfiguring into a rat even to see a new country," Severus said settling back onto his sofa now that he knew he wouldn't be heading to Egypt.

"No, the rat was Peter Pettigrew, Severus," Albus said shaking his head, still feeling dazed by all that had happened that morning.

"Pettigrew? I thought Black killed him." Severus replied, his brow furrowing as he tried to figure out how on earth a weak brained idiot like Pettigrew was able to become an animagus when there were only three in the country. It was one of the most difficult disciplines in Transfiguration.

"According to Amelia Bones who is apparating back with the transcript along with Fudge and the three Wizengamot witnesses that the Egyptian magical government allowed us to send, apparently not."

"What does this mean?" Severus asked.

"It seems that under Veritiaserum, Pettigrew admitted to being the Potter's secret keeper, to being a death eater and to selling them out for the offer of being Voldemort's right-hand man." Albus sorrowfully told him. "He stated that Black showed up and confronted him on the street about his crimes and to escape, he cut off his digit and blew up the muggles in the street to cover that he was alive."

Stunned, Severus said "Pettigrew was little more than a pissant. How?"

"Fudge was rather rude to the Egyptian representative regarding the fast trial and as a result, we didn't get to question Pettigrew before he was put to death," Albus replied sick at the lose of a life that could have been turned around now that he had admitted his crimes.

"I did hear that the Egyptians dealt with criminals in a swift and deadly manner," Severus said while idly curious what Molly Weasley's punishment will be. He could almost imagine the red headed woman trying to hug herself free and was gleefully thinking that maybe they might force her to withstand the hug of an anaconda snake. It's the only hug he could even find to compare to the overly maternal woman. "So what happens now?"

"That is the problem. It seems that the Ministry is having a bad week. First, the Egyptians touted their catching of Pettigrew far and wide so the whole magical world knows, but when they went to free Sirius Black, it seems he escaped earlier that day from Azkaban."

"So he is a wanted criminal?" Severus asked amused by the idea of Black's own impatience doing his school years nemesis in.

"No, that is what I mean by the Ministry having a bad week. Rita Skeeter found that there was never a trial. Crouch placed Black in Azkaban without a trial or even questioning him. The public is up in arms, first to find out that he was wrongly convicted, then to find out there was no trial. Needless to say, Fudge is apocalyptic at being unable to cover up what happened."

"I am sure he is." Severus murmured thinking that explains why Lucius Malfoy had canceled their dinner that evening. He must be trying prop up his bought and paid for Minster.

* * *

Two nights later, Severus finally had dinner with Lucius who told him the rest of the story. "Bones went to arrest Barty Crouch and found his son, his supposedly dead in Azkaban son being concealed at his house."

"A second escapee from Azkaban," Severus said surprised. "Did they find out how?"

"Some sort of sob story about his dying wife and her wanting to save their only son. Barty Jr. tried to fight it out with the Aurors and is dead." Lucius stated. "Fudge is fit to be tied because somehow all of this already in the hands of the ICW."

"What do you hear about Black?" Severus asked.

"They have no idea how he escaped. Fudge was at Azkaban two days prior. Visited Black's cell and said that he had even sounded relatively sane. That Black had asked for Fudge's crossword puzzle in the prophet. He had given it to the man, they found it in the cell. They searched the entire island and all they found were a couple of dogs."

"Will he be arrested?" Severus asked, torn between his duty to Lily and his youthful pain. If Sirius was freed, it would release Severus from his recently found out responsibilities. Ones that he still hadn't told anyone about and that he was debating ignoring.

"No. Fudge wants him found so that he can do damage control to his public image," Lucius said. "Narcissa wants to see him as well."

"Ah, so your wife wants to see her cousin?" He asked.

"He is in a cell next to Bellatrix. My guess is she is wondering how she is." Lucius said with a shrug. He hated his sister-in-law and was quite happy she was locked away in what had long been thought an inescapable prison.

"With Azkaban's swinging doors, I am shocked that Bella didn't attempt an escape," Severus said shivering at how insane the already borderline psychotic female death eater must now be.

"I made a point of making sure she was still locked up there yesterday. Thankfully she and her husband are safely behind locked doors." Lucius muttered into his fire-whiskey still furious when he thought about that skinny black dog that had peed on him as he waited to leave the island on the last boat of the day. He had been wishing for his wand which was kept back at the guard desk and only returned to him when they had been back in Britain but by that time, the dog had disappeared over the horizon.

Severus waited until Lucius had left before heading into his study and kicking off his shoes to settle down to read the next chapter in his mystery novel.

Soon drifting off to sleep, he never felt the soft touch of a woman brushing his lank hair off his face, nor heard her leaning down to whisper into his ears.

All he knew was he seemed to be dreaming about one Harry James Potter and how he should be protecting the boy emotionally as well as physically. Turning over in his sleep, trying to avoid the softly whispered words, he moaned no, please anything but that as he saw himself acting in the parental role to the boy who seemed to need his comfort.

Waking up, reaching over with shaking hands to turn on the muggle light, he found it hard to regain control of his emotions. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Severus stood and moved to the window knowing what had caused this dream. A newly found Goblin document that left him completely confused.

Staring out over the dark void, he couldn't help growling in anger. The school was out for the year, yet one Harry James Potter, the boy who seemed to have no common sense was interrupting his free time, the only time he had to escape his worries.

Frowning as he recalled hearing Lily's voice, he muttered "Lily, he's safe from the Dark Lord, what more do you want me to do. If you were so worried about his emotional well-being, maybe you should be haunting the Weasleys, they are all about emotions."

* * *

Harry awoke sweating from the heat; never noticing he was engulfed in a pale purple shadow of light. Sitting up and looking around, Harry felt reassured to be in his bedroom on Privet Drive, shocked to be taking comfort in that fact as the eerie laughter faded from his memory.

Looking at the small clock that had belonged to Dudley at one point; Harry saw that it was only three in the morning. He found himself staring out the window, looking up at the sky and trying to figure out what his nightmare had been about.

Slowly the constant ticking of the clock eased him back into a deep sleep, then the wraith that had hidden in the corner walked over, brushed the hair off of Harry's forehead and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"I am so sorry, my son. My trusting the wrong person cost you so much. Your Mom and I are working on putting things to rights but in order for this to work, you are going to have to find a way to see past what is on the surface. Its why we did what we did to young Ronald. So he would still be your friend when the truth comes out." With that, the wraith pressed a kiss to his forehead, then floated out the window and off to join his wife.

"Did it work?" He asked her as they met up in the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts.

"I think so. Severus is so stubborn, but hopefully, he finds the strength to do what needs to be done." Lily said as she looked around the classroom while resting her head on her husband's shoulder. "I trust you left Petunia and that man alone?"

"I didn't harm a hair on their head." He stated. "I wanted to but just in case Harry doesn't figure it out on his own I won't bring Vernon's wrath down on him for something I did. Now, what did you need to accomplish here tonight?"

"I need to get to Professor McGonagall's office. Harry's classes need to be changed." She said with a frown. "No child of mine is going to be taught by that old fraud Trelawny; not while I can put a stop to it."

Floating through the hallways, deftly avoiding the few remaining teachers and knowing that the ghosts would stay silent, they floated through the doorway and when Minerva McGonagall woke up and read her morning mail, she would be thrilled with the knowledge that Mr. Potter had taken the time to really think about his extra classes this year.

* * *

When Harry arrived downstairs and had begun preparing breakfast, he felt an odd sense of de Ja Vous when he heard Vernon telling his wife that his sister would be paying them a visit.

Harry had just sat down and begun to eat what little he was allotted when he heard Vernon telling him that there had better not be any funny business. Looking at the man seated across from him, Harry thought about the permission slip in his recent letter from Hogwarts and had an idea.

"If you would like, I could be out of the house the entire two weeks." Hiding his grin, he offered. He had been thinking at first of promising no funny business if they signed the permission slip, but he had a feeling that this was an even better idea.

Watching Uncle Vernon's eyes narrowing gimlet tight, Harry played innocent and said: "I have to pick up my text books and I can go stay at a friend's house if need be until school starts."

"You swear not to get us in trouble with that Dumbledore man?" Vernon asked his eyes boring into Harry's. "You won't come back until next summer?"

"If I can find a way to avoid coming back next summer, I also promise to do that," Harry said.

"What is this permission slip for?" Petunia asked suspiciously.

"It's so that I can go to the village near the school a few times next year." He replied carefully avoiding the word magical.

"Fine, go get the letter and your trunk. I will even drive you to London if it means we don't have to deal with your company while Marge is here." Vernon offered.

Harry went up to his room, packed what little he had kept out, opened the floor board and removed his wand and invisibility cloak as well as the food he had stored there. Letting Hedwig loose, he wrote a quick note to Hermione and was about to write one to Ron when an unknown owl flew into his room.

Reading the article about the Weasley family winning the money that was going to pay for a trip to Egypt, he felt a sense of dismay at losing a potential bolt hole even as he felt happy for his friend and his family.

Hearing Uncle Vernon shouting for him to hurry up, Harry sent his own owl to Hermione and then told her to meet him at the Leaky Cauldron.

Dragging his trunk downstairs and handing the slip over to his uncle, he inwardly cheered when the grumbling man signed it then ordered him to take his trunk out to the boot of the company car.

When Vernon sneered at the rundown side of London where he had the man drop him off, Harry just called out good-bye then dragged his trunk into the pub. Seeing the man Hagrid had told him owned the place; Harry asked to speak to him privately.

Off in a corner out of earshot of the patrons; Harry asked "Tom, Hagrid said that you have rooms for let. Would I be able to get one for a few weeks? My relatives are unavailable right now and I promise you won't even know I am here."

"That's fine, young Potter. It will be two galleons a week, for a total of five weeks, it will be ten galleons. I will put your room under your mother's last name so that no one bothers you." Tom replied then looking over asked one of his workers to carry the heavy trunk up to room six for Mr. Evans.

Paying the man, Harry was soon in his room and lying on his bed. Hearing a knock on the door, he opened it to be told that lunch was ready downstairs.

The publican put a notice me not charm on Harry then showed him to a table in the corner before bringing over a nice Shepherd's Pie, half a loaf of bread and a huge glass of milk.

Harry ate his early lunch slowly, eavesdropping in on the varied conversations around him. Hearing the name Weasley, his ears perked up Harry flinched as he heard the jokes about Molly Weasley having gotten her family arrested first for illegally importing food into Egypt than for fighting with the customs agents.

"Surely with Arthur working for the ministry, someone had the sense to tell them what they could and couldn't bring on the trip."

Hearing a witch scoff, Harry expected her to defend the family only for her to say "Old Arthur never did have a lick of sense. A nice congenial man, there is no doubt about it, but he would spend his last sickle to make that shrew of a wife of his happy."

"Now Molly isn't all that bad." He heard. "She is a bit of a fishwife, but see how you act when you are raising a half dozen kids on very little funds. I am sure that she never expected her luggage to be searched."

"That brings us back the news that her son had an animagus rat for a pet." The original bar patron replied. "I mean, their eldest works for the Goblins, old Arthur at the Ministry and yet none of them ever figured out that their sons had a death eater masquerading as a rat for a pet."

As that particular group left, Harry felt his stomach churning but kept eating, not wanting to offend Tom. He hated how the four witches and wizards had been gossiping about the Weasleys but at least now he knew why Ron hadn't answered his owl yet. Worried but not sure what he could do, he vowed to get a hold of the Prophet himself so that he wasn't hearing everything second hand.

Seeing two new people seated near him; he tried to tune out their conversation but instead overheard a witch breaking off her engagement to an argumentative wizard. Apparently, she felt he cared more about his favorite Quidditch team than he did her.

Two hours into Harry's eavesdropping just as he finished the huge slice of chocolate cake and yet a third glass of milk, Harry almost choked when he saw his Potions professor entering the Leaky Cauldron.

Snape greeted Tom, then sat down nearby to have a bite to eat.

Harry found himself staring at Snape like he was an exhibit at the local zoo. The man seemed almost normal as he ate some Shepherd's pie and drank a butter beer. When he saw a woman entering the pub, to Harry's shock she went over and sat with Snape, joining him for dessert.

* * *

Severus Snape felt uneasy but put it down to his lunch meeting with the editor of the Potion's monthly journal. He had been keeping up on the articles in the Daily Prophet about the escape of Sirius Black and knew that the idiot probably was as far away from Britain as he could be.

"Thank you for meeting with me, Master Snape." The tall woman said as she took out her notebook.

"Please, call me Severus." He replied then frowned inwardly at what had just come from his mouth. This was the third time in a week he had been overly friendly with a strange woman. What in the name of Merlin was going on with him?

"Thank you, Severus, please feel free to call me Teresa." She replied then began her interview. As they discussed the article he had written regarding his breakthrough for a longer lasting Wolfsbane potion, she went through all of the standard questions about his education and personal life then came to the meat and potatoes of why she was there.

Snape grimaced at the idea of an intro to his piece that sounded like little more than a fluff piece, but at least he would be getting the word out about his potions breakthrough.

"So, Severus, why were you so diligent in working on trying to create a long lasting version of the Wolfsbane potion?" The woman's flirtatious smile had his skin crawling with a need to get away.

Severus replied "When I was fifteen, a boy I knew sent me to a shack where a young werewolf was being kept. I was almost attacked as a result. When the Wolfsbane potion was first created, I found myself paying careful attention to the various journal articles and couldn't help thinking that there had to be a better way of stabilizing the potion."

"As it is, right now, we are relying on a half-crazed beast to remember to take the potion nightly. If the werewolf were to forget or the potion was to spoil before it was taken, we could have a disaster on our hands." He smoothly replied.

"I understand that you have a test subject who will be taking the new and improved potion for a year to see first if it works and then to check for any side effects." She said reaching out to touch his hand.

Severus pulled back, not comfortable with human contact from someone he wasn't familiar with. "Yes, actually my test subject is the very werewolf that almost attacked me."

Turning down the offer of a date, scowling at the woman who had the temerity to boldly ask him out, Severus went to the counter to pay his tab, wanting nothing more than to escape. He had been feeling off during the entire interview and he could find no reason for it.

Leaving the Leaky Cauldron and heading to Gringotts, Severus frowned when he saw that two of his fourth-year students were standing around gawking at him.

Getting his funds exchanged into pounds, with the intent to go pick up more books and some nice brandy for his parlor, he felt that same odd prickle from the Leaky Cauldron and looked around, trying to figure out what was making him so uneasy.

* * *

Harry watched from the corner as the pretty woman interviewing Snape thanked him for his time then asked if he would be interested in having dinner with her.

When Snape coldly replied no, Harry winced on behalf of the embarrassed and rejected blond. Even Harry at twelve almost thirteen years of age could see that the woman had been trying to get a date with the prickly wizard.

Tom came over and was speaking to Harry as Snape strolled out of the pub towards Diagon Alley. Looking at the time and deciding to head into the Alley himself, Harry went to pay Tom only to be told that his meals were including in the price of his room.

Thanking the man, Harry went into the Alley through the brick wall and was entering Gringotts when he saw Professor Snape exiting.

Inwardly hoping he wasn't seen, Harry to his surprise realized that the notice me not charm was still on him. Though from the way that the Goblin was staring at him, it didn't work on them.

Arriving at a teller, he was soon riding the miner's cart to his vault. Taking out some funds to get his school books and new robes, Harry left the bank and hoped that his potions professor had already left the Alley as he quickly returned to the pub and had Tom remove the charm.

In Flourish and Blott's, he handed over his letter listing his books and was told that the clerk would get them if he would like to look around. Harry had been disappointed when he had read the list earlier that day to find that somehow he had not been allowed to take Divination but instead was being made to take Runes and Arithmancy. He could only hope that Ron was also taking those classes with Hermione and himself.

Finding an old Hogwarts a History from over a hundred years before in the used book bin as he looked around, he found himself purchasing it with the intent to give it Hermione. Reading the sign about the special two for one they were having on used books, Harry randomly picked up a few extras curious to see what they were about.

Harry was the counter, after paying for his books and being handed them wrapped up amused to realize he had over twenty books when he realized he needed to hurry. He quickly went to Madam Malkins then back to the pub to finish his shopping the next day.

* * *

Waking up in his bed at the Inn, Harry stretched and saw to his surprise what had awoken him. Hedwig was sitting on her perch with a note attached to her leg.

Reading Hermione's note, he chuckled and wrote back that he was intending on starting his homework that very afternoon, that he had already purchased his books for the new school year.

Hedwig trilled her excitement at getting to fly free yet again when normally she was caged during the summer, so Harry thought about it and then wrote a note to Neville Longbottom so that his owl could really enjoy herself.

Down in the pub reading the Prophet, stunned at the knowledge it was imparting, as he ate a light breakfast, again with milk, Harry was hoping that no one was looking for him, the last thing he wanted right now was to be dragged back to the Dursleys.

Trying to figure out who to ask about this Peter Pettigrew and exactly what the connections were between his parents, this escaped not so guilty prisoner and the man who had been hiding at the Weasley's home as an animagus.

The only good part was that the Weasley family was exonerated regarding the rat/human. Molly, however, was being forced to take anger management classes and Harry couldn't help thinking that if such things existed in this world, why hadn't the Headmaster ever forced Snape to take them, or even Filch.

Carrying his transfiguration and potions books so that he could work on the assignments at the park he had seen off in the distance, Harry enjoyed the beautiful day, well aware that he could be caught and forced back to the Dursleys at any minute.

Picking up scroll paper, ink, a wand polishing kit and some treats for Hedwig, Harry found a quiet spot at the park and began to read the assigned chapters from the previous year's books.

The transfiguration assignment was simple, eighteen inches later and he was rolling it back up and carefully placing it back into his school bag.

His quill hovering over the scroll, his mind on anything but his assignment, Harry struggled to force himself to pay attention as he wrote, then stopped then wrote some more before finally getting into a rhythm as he finished the three-foot scroll.

Looking at his watch surprised to see it was lunch time, Harry realized he wasn't hungry but decided that after all that hard work, an ice cream sundae sounded divine.

Stopping at Florescues's ice cream shop, he was seated outside enjoying the never ending dish when he heard "So Mr. Potter, care to explain what you are doing alone in Diagon Alley?"

Groaning inwardly, wondering why he had had the bad luck to run into Snape two days in a row, he turned and told a half truth. "My uncle dropped me off. I picked up my books for the new year and was working on my homework."

"Mr. Potter do you really expect me to believe that you were doing your homework here?" Snape drawled as he looked around the busy shopping alley.

"Yes, in fact..." Harry pulled out his potions scroll. "See?"

* * *

Severus took the scroll and unrolled it. Reading what Potter had written, he rolled his eyes. Potter had the broad idea but as usual, he had gotten the finer details wrong and the handwriting was as atrocious.

Handing it to the boy, he demanded: "Read this to me."

He could see Harry wanted to protest but the boy took the scroll and began to read. Watching, he saw Harry squint as he read his own writing and asked: "Do you have your book with you?"

Taking the book and opening it to a random page, he handed it to Harry and said: "Read this out loud."

Seeing the boy squinting yet again, he looked around at the windows of nearby stores and said: "Potter, read that sign over there."

When the boy did so correctly without squinting, he sighed loudly and looked at Potter. "When was the last time you went to a healer about your eyes or an optometrist in the muggle world?"

The boy's eyes so like his mother's looked down then to the left and right before looking at him. "I have never been."

"How did you end up with glasses then?" He asked almost afraid of the answer.

"My primary school teacher told my aunt I needed glasses so she picked up some and told me to wear them." He said with a shrug.

"Grab your bags, Potter." When the boy had gathered his school supplies, Severus dragged him back to the Leaky Cauldron and looked at Tom. "Could you keep Potter's bags until he gets picked up. We will be back in an hour."

With that, ignoring the way the boy resisted, Snape exited the pub and arrived at an apparition point and snapped "Hold onto my arm."

The Potion's Master couldn't help being amused as Harry looked sick as they seemed to be squeezed through a tube then he found it amusing as the boy looked around the hospital. "Welcome to St. Mungo's, what may we do for you today?"

"We need a specialist healer for eyes." Snape haughtily stated while thinking that if the green tinge to Potter's skin didn't fade they just might need a general healer as well. "Now."

"But sir..."

"Be quiet, Potter." He told Potter who looked like he wanted to keep protesting but one glare silenced the boy. Being directed by the witch behind the counter to the second floor, he told Potter to keep up and soon they were in a lift.

Staying silent not understand what was motivating him to help his most annoying student, not wanting to deal with adolescent drama any more than he had to, Snape raised an eye brow at the boy when he seemed to hesitate to exit the lift. "I don't have all day, Potter.

Following his student down the hallway, they were soon in a private cubicle with a healer waiting to be checked out.

"What seems to be the problem today?" The cheery woman asked.

"The boy never got his eyes checked. Apparently, he missed that during his first year." Snape stated as his eyes scanned the annoying pest. He could be home, his shoes off, a sniffer full of some excellent brandy and a good book, but no, he was at the hospital with the Potter boy.

"Oh dear, let us see." She replied then began the test. Snape frowned at Harry's surprise when he was given an eye test similar to what was done in the muggle world. When the healer ordered the boy to remove his glasses and take the test again, she kept tutting as she wrote down some notes.

"Okay, we will have you right in just a jiffy." She said then came back with a tray full of frames. "Which ones do you like, dearie?"

Snape paid attention as Harry found something similar to what he already had and she used her wand to create the lens then handed it to the boy.

"You had better make them unbreakable. The boy tends to be accident prone." Snape directed and glared at the raven haired boy.

She removed the glasses, muttered another charm and then handed them back to Harry. "So dearie, how does that feel?"

To his shock, Harry thanked the healer then himself for bringing him. When he asked where to pay, he was told. "There is no charge dearie. This should have been done when you were given your physical for school."

Snape saw the startled expression on Potter's face and groaned "You were given a physical, Potter?"

Quietly Harry whispered "No. Hagrid didn't say anything about it when he brought me to get my supplies."

"What does Hagrid have to do with anything?" Snape asked with a frown. "Surely Professor McGonagall or the Headmaster brought you to Diagon Alley the first time?"

"No, it was Hagrid who came and got me. My relatives tried to reject my letter."

Hearing that Snape knew that he would have to speak to Tunie at some point. Thankfully before Potter could speak again, the healer reentered the room and asked if they wanted to do the physical now.

"I will have Madam Pomfrey take care of it when school starts. I am sure that Potter will feel more comfortable with someone he knows." Snape stated as he escorted Harry out of the cubicle and to the hallway.

Exiting the hospital, Harry was quickly told to grab onto Snape's arm and they were soon back in Diagon Alley. "I really don't like traveling in the magical world."

Looking at Potter, he couldn't resist "Let me guess you would rather fly on a broom than apparate?"

"Don't care much for floo travel either." He stated as he regained his equilibrium.

"Potter, when you get back to Hogwarts, don't forget to visit Pomfrey. Clearly, there was a mistake made in your introduction to Magic. My guess is that they treated you as a half-blood and not as a muggle raised student."

With that, Snape escorted him back to the Leaky Cauldron and saw the eye contact between the boy and the barkeep and knew that there was something strange going on, but deciding to let it go, for now, Snape told Harry to reread the chapters and rewrite his assignment for his class.

Leaving the pub, Snape apparated back to Hogwarts and went to find the Headmaster only to be told by Flitwick that he had gone to London.

"What about McGonagall?"

"She went to her place near John O'Groats," Flitwick stated as he looked at Snape. "You seem to have a real bee in your bonnet; care to talk about it?"

"No," Snape replied then went to his quarters. Flooing McGonagall, he asked "Do you have a few minutes? It's regarding Potter."

"It's summer, Severus, what could he have possibly done now?" She asked as she knelt in front of her fireplace. "Oh dear, did something happen regarding Pettigrew and Black? Albus said he would talk to Harry about things when school started again, but I fear it will be too late."

"Let me come over and I will explain." He replied and watching her nod and step back; he joined her at her stone crofter's cottage.

Filling her in on his visit to Diagon Alley for supplies and running into Potter and the subsequent visit to St. Mungo's he was surprised when she told him "Albus told me he was going to get Harry personally."

"He didn't and while Hagrid is a nice enough fellow, he was the worst person to be introducing anyone to the magical world, Minerva."

Shaking her head, McGonagall looked at him and replied "I agree, however, Albus tends to want to see the best in people. It's why I am sure that this plan of his to have Hagrid teaching is going to be a disaster. "

"What are you going to do about Potter?" He asked.

"I guess stop over to visit him at his home." She said reluctantly. "They were the worst kind of muggles when I saw them years ago. I hate to defy Albus, but clearly, he needs to be told what is going on before someone like Ronald tells him what he hears eavesdropping on his parents."

Hesitating, then looking at the woman, he said "I think Potter is staying at the Leaky Cauldron for some reason. He might already know some of this."

"Albus won't be happy about that." She said with a heavy sigh. "I guess I will have to go take him back to his relatives."

"Leave him there. I will keep an eye on him." Snape said and found himself once again wondering what had come out of his mouth. Seeing her shock, he muttered "He seemed fine and was actually working on school work. Far be it for me to interfere in Albus's golden boy doing summer homework for a change. If current events come up, I will take him straight to Albus."

"He wrote to me, dropped Divination and added Runes and Arithmancy." She told him proud of her young lion for thinking with his head.

Shocked, Snape said "Strange."

"I figured maybe someone mentioned his mother took those classes." She answered. "I am rather proud of him. Sibyl Trelawny is a terrible teacher. I hate to speak ill of a teacher but that woman frequently smells like sherry at lunch time."

* * *

Harry over the next few days found himself reading and comprehending his school text books a lot easier. By his birthday he had finished all of his summer homework and had rewritten his transfiguration and potions assignments. He had at first done so to distract himself from the stories floating around regarding his family and the men currently in the news, but as he worked on things, he found he was doing the assignments even for the books he had purchased in the bargain bin as well as reading his books for the upcoming school year.

He had been having a great week, Ron family had been freed and he had sent him a foe glass ball for his birthday, Neville and Hermione had written him back. Neville telling him about his newest plant and Hermione just telling him about her summer so far. She had sent along a homework assignment notebook and another one on Quidditch to him for his birthday.

Harry had written back a thank you and had told her about the extra books he had purchased at the bookstore. She had sounded excited about the century-old version of Hogwarts a History so he had agreed she could read it when he had finished.

Looking up as he finished his sandwiches and slice of birthday cake, he was not happy to see his potions professor and tried to think up an excuse as to why he was at the Leaky Cauldron again.

"Let me save you the effort, I know you have been staying here for the last week," Snape stated as he settled down in the chair across from him.

"Are you here to make me go back to my aunt's house?" He asked thinking that this had to be one of his worst birthdays ever.

"No, I figure if you are staying out of trouble, I don't have to report it to the Headmaster. After all, you are on your summer break and thankfully I am not responsible for your whereabouts." Snape replied.

Harry relaxed for a second but Snape quickly ruined that by picking up his Charms essay which was sticking out of his bookbag. The man unrolled it and read what he had written.

"Potter, this is much better, it is actually legible. Though, you confused the reduction charm with the removing charm." He stated then handed the scroll back. "What else do you have finished?"

"All of my homework." He defiantly stated, sure that his most hated professor wouldn't believe him.

"Is it here with you?" Snape asked holding out his hand.

Reluctantly, Harry handed it over and watched as Snape settled more comfortably into a chair across from him. A few minutes later, Snape rolled up his Astronomy assignment and said: "Tolerably well done."

When the professor didn't correct anything in his Herbology homework, nor Transfiguration, Harry felt like he had won a major victory but he winced when the man looked at his potions homework.

"Once again well done, however, I would suggest you pay more attention to the paragraphs regarding proper cutting techniques as that will be more important during the upcoming school year," Snape stated aloofly then reached in to pull out the book he had with him.

When Snape looked between the old muggle history textbook then at him, Harry reached for it only for the man to place it out of his reach. "Strange book for you to have."

"I bought it and some others from a bin at Flourish and Blotts, I figured I would have time on my hands this summer." He admitted.

"Don't spend the entire summer indoors, Potter," Snape said looking at the boy.

"I don't. I take a different book each morning to the park at the end of the Alley until lunch time." He answered. "It's relaxing."

Surprised the boy wasn't flying his broom, Snape just nodded and was planning to head for the exit when the WWW announced that Sirius Black had been seen in Diagon Alley. "Potter do you know who Black is?"

"He was somehow friends with my parents according to the newspaper and he was sent to falsely Azkaban in place of that Pettigrew guy, right?" Harry asked then the boy asked, "Where is Azkaban?"

"The Wizard prison is in the north, it's unplottable so I don't know exactly," Snape replied absentmindedly while still listening to the reporter but his focus grew sharper as they announced that they were trying to track down Harry Potter to ask his opinion on what was going on.

Looking at Potter, getting that it wouldn't be a good idea to be leaving such a tempting target for the press and all sundry wandering around on his own in Diagon Alley, he asked: "Do you have everything you need for the upcoming school year yet?"

"Yes except, my potions ingredients because I promised to wait for Hermione and I need to pick up some more polish for my broom polishing kit."

"Let's go get them. Ms. Granger and you can meet up later." Snape ordered. Watching from outside the store as Potter went to get his broom kit, Snape saw that the Alley was full of Aurors and even some trainees as it seemed like half of the magical world descended onto it.

Scoffing at their idiocy, knowing that Black was too smart to come strolling down the Alley, he was debating leaving Potter there for his safety but he also knew that the boy might make some foolish move in order to get the answers he wanted and he could just see an unscrupulous reporter or former Death Eater trying to use the boy for their own ends.

The boy exited the Quidditch Supplies store and Snape escorted him back to the Leaky Cauldron then flooed Minerva who suggested that he bring Harry to her cottage.

"Sir, why is everyone staring at me, I mean, more than they usually do?" Harry asked as they sat in the corner of the pub.

Looking at Potter, he said "They are probably wishing I wasn't with you so that they can accost you and ask your opinion on what is going on. They are also probably hoping you are making plans to meet with Sirius Black who all are curious about."

Harry tensed up and asked "Do you think that he is going to come looking for me? I mean, I still don't have any answers to all of my questions."

"I don't know but it is better to get you to the relative safety of a secure location." He stated. "I don't think you are in danger from Black but the press is another story."

"I would rather take my chances with some reporter, heck with that guy Pettigrew than go back to the Dursleys." Harry boldly replied.

"Thankfully that isn't where you are going, foolish boy," Snape stated. "Gather you things, I will be back in a few minutes."

Letting Tom know that Potter was leaving, Snape went to the herb shop and when he returned Harry was waiting with his trunk. "Let's go Potter."

Landing outside of the wards around McGonagall's cottage, Severus called out and Minerva answered. "Back garden, Severus."

Following the voice, Harry was surprised to see his Head of House wearing muggle pants as she worked in her garden. "Welcome, Harry and Happy Birthday. Sorry, this isn't under better circumstances."

"Thank you for inviting me." He said awkwardly. "So did you know these men?"

"I taught both Sirius and your father at Hogwart's. Professor Snape was a student at the same time." Minerva said.

"The Alley is fill of people including the press, Minerva," Snape informed his coworker when she sent Harry to take his trunk to the extra bedroom inside. "I have to make a quick visit to my house, then I am heading back to Hogwarts. Should I speak to the Headmaster if he has returned?"

"Don't mention Harry is here." She warned then wiping her hands, stood and said "I stopped over to his family's place. There was another muggle there. This woman was speaking about Harry's parents and Harry like they were dogs, no wonder the boy hates going home."

"Not a surprise, Petunia Evans always envied her sister and resented magic. I tried to warn the headmaster but he seemed to feel Potter's physical safety mattered more than his mental well-being."

Seeing her surprise, Severus sat down across from her on the stone bench and said "I haven't been myself for the last week or so. I keep saying the oddest things."

Smiling broadly, Minerva stated "Maybe you are finding that it is much easier to care about people and admit than before. Now before Potter returns, help me find a reason for me to stay here for the entire summer."

"As to that..." He signed sounding resigned, "I will come stay with Potter when you have to go back. It would be less suspicious though when he goes to meet up with the Granger girl, you must go. That young lady gives me a headache with all of her questions."

"To me, she reminds me of this other very eager and questioning student I once had, Severus. Maybe you recall him?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Playing obtuse, he said "Really, she reminds you of Lupin that much? Speaking of him has anyone spoken to him."

"I think that answer earns you a T for effort, Professor." She replied then watched him chuckling as he left. Entering her cottage, she went to check on Harry and saw his snowy white owl arriving. "She is absolutely beautiful Potter. I love watching her fly into the Great Room. You picked a beautiful familiar."

"Hagrid picked her for me. She was my first present ever." He softly replied while running his forefinger across the owl's brow.

"No, just the first you can recall," Minerva replied. Seeing him looking her way, she said: "I remember your first Christmas, you weren't even six months old yet and it was such a lovely time in spite of the war going on."

Harry found himself asking something he had always been curious about but had never had the nerve to ask. "I know my parent's loved me, but were they happy about having me? How did they meet each other, why did they fall in love?"

Sitting down on the bed and patting the spot next to her, Minerva said "Your parents went to Hogwarts together but they didn't date until their seventh year. Your father had a lot of maturing to do."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

Thinking on the best way to express things, Minerva answered "Your dad was the only son born to parent's who had given up hope of having children so he was spoiled. Not your cousin spoiled but more like indulged and he came to Hogwarts well aware of his family's position in society and very self-assured."

"Like Malfoy?" He asked disgusted by that idea.

"Yes and no. Unlike Mr. Malfoy, your father didn't believe what blood flowed through your veins mattered but unfortunately he did tend to act like Draco when thwarted." Minerva felt Draco was a bit of an extreme comparison, but not by much.

"Your mom, on the other hand, tended to be like your friend Ms. Granger. Smart and beautiful but she also had a self-assurance your young friend lacks. There was this other student who your mom knew from primary school and your father and his friends liked to give him a hard time."

"Dad was a bully?" He asked hurt deeply by the idea.

"Yes and no, Harry." She said. "This other boy and a friend of your father's were like Mr. Malfoy and your friend Mr. Weasley. They hated each for things beyond their control and refused to see past the difference to see how alike they are."

"You think Draco and Ron are alike?" Harry asked diverted by that idea.

"Very much so. Draco feels superior to Ron because he has money, Ron hates being less affluent. Draco's father considers the Weasleys blood traitors and Draco recites that creed. Ron hears what his dad says about Lucius Malfoy and instead of getting to know Draco to find out if he is like his dad, automatically believes it to be true."

"But Draco is a Slytherin." Harry protested.

"Yes, he is. The thing is, that doesn't mean he is automatically a bad guy. I have heard Mr. Weasley say that only Slytherins followed he who must not be named, but that isn't true. There were members of all houses in his followers including Gryffindor."

"But Ron said-." Harry stopped talking as he realized that that was his professor's point. Ron was wrong.

"Your father, his friend, and this other boy are very alike but the difference is that your mother was friends with this other boy. She defended him then the fifth year there was a terrible incident similar to how your friend Mr. Weasley hurt Ms. Granger's feelings first year."

With a side long glance at Harry, she gave him a nod then stopped speaking for a second then said: "You might recall that night after all, wasn't that the real reason you went to rescue her from the troll?"

"How did you find that out?" He asked apprehensively.

"I didn't, Professor Snape did." She replied then asked "Harry did you ever tell Ms. Granger that it was your idea to rescue her? Or did you just give equal credit to Mr. Weasley?"

"I just said we." He admitted.

"Good, that will help with my next comparison. See, your mother was always standing up for this other boy, then one day, he found out and felt humiliated."

"Why?" He asked confused.

"Boys act strange sometimes. Just wait a few years and you will see what I mean. There will be some sort of argument with Hermione, one that will have you saying something you don't mean. The difference I think will be that you will have time and that you are in the same house to allow things to be mended. Plus, I think that you have a little surprise coming your way regarding your friendship with Ms. Granger as you mature. Your mother and her friend didn't have that."

Minerva continued "Your mom and her friend didn't have the time, the breach got bigger and bigger and eventually the next summer, he made an unforgivable mistake. One he couldn't take back. So they lost their friendship. Now, at the same time, your father began to grow up and realize that he had a part in pushing this other boy into a dark place but it was too late to fix things."

"However your dad got his act together and your parents began dating and she grew to tolerate then as the trouble maker friend matured, to grow close to and love your dad's friends but she always, always regretted losing the friendship of her first Hogwart's friend and I know that it still pains him that he lost your Mom's friendship." She said wiping a tear away.

"So Mom and dad loved each other a lot?" He asked.

"Very much so. When your Mom found out she was pregnant with you, they were so proud and frightened because of the war. Your first Christmas, your dad was insanely excited and so were all those around them."

"I wish I could remember that." He said quietly.

"You were the best baby, Harry. Happy and loved, you gave me of my all time funniest memories that holiday season." She said with a quick chuckle. "Your godfather was holding you and you got a hold of his wand. He decided that you should be allowed to play with it and no one thought too much about it until you turned most of the guests into other objects or animals and you turned the headmaster into a Christmas tree."

"Really?" Harry laughed.

She answered. "By the time your mom had gotten the wand away from you, you had a room full of bunnies, kittens, and puppies. It took the accidental spells department at St. Mungo's to figure out what you had done."

"Bet my mom was angry."

"Yes, your godfather was threatened by her to have his wand broken if he ever gave it to you again. Then you opened his present and he had given you a toy broom. Your mom was furious that he had given a six-month-old a broom. But later on, she opened a present from her old friend for you. It was a series of magical children's books, she cried that night and your father vowed to fix their friendship. He never got a chance."

"Because Voldemort killed him?" Harry asked quietly.

"And they had to go into hiding, but yes, because of Voldemort." She said surprised to find herself saying the name out loud. "So Severus tells me you have your homework assignments done already, would you like me to look it over?"

With a smirk, Harry said "I think it will be fine, Professor Snape said that it was tolerably well done. So in Professor Snape speak that means I am close to perfect."

"Too true, too true." She ruefully agreed then looking at the clock asked: "So what do you say to fish and chips for dinner?"

TBC. Maybe?


	11. Chapter 11 Four Go Back In Time

**Chapter One**

 **The man awoke with a start, laying still as possible, he looked around the vaguely familiar room, searching for what had disturbed his sleep, his right hand tightly grasping his wand, his body tense before relaxing as his mind arranged his thoughts in an organized pattern.**

 **With a deep sigh of relief, he softly said "It worked, damn she will be happy about that. You would have thought after all this time, I wouldn't bet against her."**

 **Slipping out from under the heavy comforter, he padded to the bathroom, needing to see for himself that he was back where he was supposed to be.**

 **Grimacing as he saw his much younger self in the full-length mirror, he let out a large sigh as he was reminded of how much his son resembled himself. A son that if things went well, would not exist, at least not as he would recall him. He felt a bit of pain at that thought, his son was one of the few good parts of his life.**

 **Returning to his large bed, he lay back against the pillows and let his mind go to what had led him to return thirty years into the past.**

 **The newly found journals that had shaken the magical world as the horrific truths regarding not only Dumbledore but many others had come out. As truth and lies, fact and fiction, even the truth about blood relatives had become known, there had been some very ugly battles.**

 **Battles that had pitted brother against brother, destroyed marriages and had caused the Ministry of Magic itself to begin to collapse, Hermione, not so legally Weasley had come up with a plan. One that she and her partner had come to him about.**

 **He had not trusted her one bit until she had given him the journal that had Potter had kept hidden. One whose truths were the most explosive, the most damning... the ones that proved just how badly things had been manipulated.**

 **He had been skeptical when both Potter and she had said that it needed to be him, That he had to be one of the ones to return to offset the mistakes of the past. Oh, he had argued, vehemently against his returning, positive that no good would come of it... then Potter had silently turned the pages to the last chapter and had handed it to him.**

 **He had read the last chapter with growing horror, had denied what was written long after they had left, but that small kernel of doubt that they had sown had grown and grown until just after midnight, he had gone to his lab and brewed the potion, before going where his now seventy-year-old father slept and forced the man to drink it.**

 **The resulting answers had been a shock for more than himself, it had awoken a truth that even his father had forgotten. By dawn, the next morning, his father in regret for his brutal past and his inaction as others had harmed the one he had loved had resulted in the older man committing suicide.**

 **He had left his ancestral home, gone to the house where they were holed up desperately looking for answers. He had been let in by a house elf and sent to the library where they were both bent over a large pile of books, a sight so reminiscent of their school years that he had almost been convinced he had seen the teenage versions of themselves.**

 **They had merely nodded to acknowledge his arrival then when he was standing next to them, they had baldly explained what they had found out. That there was a way to fix this at least from what had happened in the year 1990, but that it would take more than just him returning, that it would take four to right things.**

 **When he had questioned where the third member of the former golden trio was, he had seen the sneer on her face and how Potter had subtly shaken his head to cease and desist, but he wanted answers as to why he was there not Weasley.**

 **The answer had had him shaking his head when she had spat out that the idiot red head had blamed her for his lost opportunities and so called perfect family that he would have supposedly had if he had ended up with Lavender Brown as a wife.**

 **That he had lost out because of the late Headmaster seemed almost beyond Weasley's thinking, no, in his mind and the mind of his mother, it was Hermione's fault. That Potter's wife had not been at all upset about her own altered history was why she had been left out.**

 **Geneva Potter nee Weasley would not be a very happy woman if she were to learn what they were attempting, in fact, she had been very vocal that thing had landed just the way she felt that they should have.**

 **Potter admitted that he was torn between loving the children he had and the knowledge that due to the altered time line created by Albus Dumbledore they weren't supposed to exist and that someplace in limbo was the biological family he was supposed to have.**

 **Hermione Granger had finally convinced him to join her in her crusade by pointing out all of the people who had unnecessarily died who had families, whose children lived in that same limbo. Draco had listed to the entire debate torn between the truth and fear of returning to live through yet again what they had already survived.**

 **Potter had reluctantly faced the truth that the life they were living was an altered time line, that they needed to fix things, that Teddy Lupin deserved to grow up with his parents, that Longbottom deserved to have his parents in his life, that Sirius Black should have survived.**

 **That he, Potter; had had a very different life that had been altered by one man who wished to keep the magical world in the same status qua for the most part as it had been during his life time, even going to so far as to drastically shorten his own life span to ensure that this would happen.**

 **As he lay in his bed, all Draco Malfoy could do was let out a quiet chuckle that sounded rather high pitch coming out of his ten-year-old body. He had returned to the past to do what he had failed to do in his previous life time. What many many wizards had failed to do?**

 **Topple the great and all knowing Hogwart's Headmaster. Last time it had been at the behest of a lunatic, yes he had been part of a bigger group, but they had been pretty much insane. Now, he was back, this time with hopefully a much better plan, which considering it had been created by Granger, he was sure it was.**

 **Draco eventually fell asleep; hoping against hope that this would work, after all, if it didn't, Albus Dumbledore would learn the truth and that was to be prevented at all cost!**

* * *

 ****

 **Chapter Two**

 **In London, a red headed woman awoke in her ancestral bed, her mind whirling as she separated dreams from truths. As she organized her mind, she fought every single emotion within her that said to send her aunt a floo message to see if she was alive.**

 **When Potter and Granger (she would always be Granger to her) had come to her with their outrageous plan, when they had shown her the journal that they had kept private, she had been horrified by what she had read. She had wanted to say that it was all lies, but she had heard about the other books, had seen the results of the truths coming out.**

 **Her husband, well Susan wished she could say her beloved husband, but in truth, she had settled because he had been the only one who had asked her to marry him had already filed for divorce. She had had no children, but upon learning that had been by design from the journal had had her awakening to some very deeply hidden home truths.**

 **Potter and Granger's offer had been a life saver, a chance to have the life she had always dreamed of. So, Susan had taken their offer, had eagerly helped them plot the destruction of the so-called Department of Mysteries.**

 **She had planted what Potter had called pipe bombs in the deepest darkest parts of the Ministry to prevent them from sending anyone back to stop them and then had calmly walked out of the building.**

 **Susan knew she should have been sickened by the horrific loss of life, but as Granger had logically pointed out, if they succeeded then those people would live in the future they should have had.**

 **Up next had been the 'destruction' of the journals in the office of the Headmaster, in truth, Potter and Granger had then used a spell that they had found to hide them someplace that they had sworn would be undisturbed when they arrived in the past.**

 **She had been a bit befuddled by what they had tried to explain, but she considered that a good thing as it meant if they were somehow exposed, she wouldn't be able to give away any of their secrets.**

 **When she had learned that Draco Malfoy was to be the fourth member of their team, she had protested, certain that he would use this to help his former master, only to back down when she realized that Potter and Granger knew something about the blond wizard that had them trusting him enough to consider him an ally in this mess.**

 **Noticing that it was almost time to get up for day, Susan slide out of bed carefully as she had done for the last twenty years since her injury, only to chuckle as she recalled that that was an event in her future and that her current self was hale and hearty and she made plans to keep things that way.**

* * *

 ****

 **In Crawley, a girl with wild hair and a large brain awoke in her bed, looked around at her pre-Hogwarts room and let out a small knowing grin. It had worked, Harry and her plan had worked. She and hopefully he was back before things had gone so wrong.**

 **With a quiet chuckle, she shook her head at how gullible the British Magical world was. Harry and she had been very unhappy with their respective lives for years but had done little more than get together once in a while to bitch to each other.**

 **During one of those meetings, they had fantasized about how differently things would be if they had known then what they had known in the future. Harry had tossed out there that it was a shame that they couldn't go back and change things.**

 **That had led to them listing everything that they would like to change and all of the dangers to doing so. From the not so subtle bigotry to the outright ignorance of the magical world to more personal complaints about their respective careers and marriages.**

 **This had led to a discussion of those who had influenced their decisions as children and how badly they had been misguided. To how too many good people had died in the war as a result of inaction or pure stupidity.**

 **During one particularly amusing session, it had led to them discussing how many terrible marriages there had been in the wizarding world immediately after the war. This, in turn, had had them playing fantasy matchmaker for their classmates and then others in their world.**

 **One night, after a fight with Ron that had led to his stalking out of their house, Hermione had sat down and as a lark had created a journal supposedly written by Albus Dumbledore detailing his "manipulations".**

 **Harry, when she had given it to him, had read it and fallen off the sofa laughing. He had encouraged her to write more, using their other issues, he had even suggested their subjects and titles. After all, while for the most part, Dumbledore had guided things, he hadn't actually been consciously been manipulating anyone.**

 **When she had completed all of the suggested journals, he had sat there quietly fingering the pages of the first one then had quietly asked if she had ever thought about it.**

 **She had been unable to meet his eyes as she whispered: "Thought about what?"**

" **How different our lives would be if we could go back?"**

 **This had created an awkward silence then she had confessed "Yes, all the time. I can't help wishing..."**

" **Me too." He had replied then abruptly left. When she had seen him next, almost a month later, he had had that long missing boyish grin on his face as he whispered in her ear "I know how to fix things."**

" **Harry...?" She had been worried about his emotional high until he leaned in and whispered that he knew something she didn't know. "What, what do you know, Harry?"**

" **Can't tell." He had taunted all the while watching as his wife and her husband spoke to each other on the other side of the room.**

" **Can't or won't?" She asked her eyes on their mother in law who she had come to despise as she had aged.**

" **Won't, at least not here. Walls have ears, Hermione." He replied then left to return to where his son was talking to the daughter of Bill Weasley about Teddy.**

 **The very next day, the folder he had shown her had had Hermione aghast at the idiocy of the Department of Mysteries and it's employees. Harry had pitched the idea of using their stupidity to fix things for the better.**

 **When she had pointed out that they needed four, he had pointed out that they were not the only ones unhappy with their lives who wouldn't mind a bit of rule breaking.**

 **A plan was hatched, their co-conspirators convinced that the journals were the truth and within six weeks she was laying in her old bed in her parents home, about to right several wrongs.**

* * *

 ****

 **Chapter Three**

 **Harry Potter awoke that afternoon to the sound of his relatives returning from wherever they had gone. He had been locked in his cupboard when they had left and he wasn't expected to be released anytime soon.**

 **In fact, from his memories, he knew that he would be forced to stay there until early the next morning. Laying there, he grinned as he realized his plan had worked. He had returned to the past and was going to be able to right several wrongs and set things on a much better path.**

 **He had been slowly guiding Hermione to attempt this for years, ever since he had realized just how wrong things had gone. It had required time and patience, something that as a young boy, he had been in short supply of, but as an adult, the side that had almost landed him in Slytherin had come out.**

 **He had had access to years and years of files at the Ministry and had made list after list of misdeeds of his foes. He had found Fudge's secret lists of those who had bribed him, he had found Umbridge's foul and disgusting blueprint for how she thought the magical world should handle those she didn't consider her equal.**

 **But it had been when Harry had been asked to investigate a theft of a particularly valuable book in the Department of Mysteries and he had had access to their files and all of their secrets that his plan had coalesced.**

 **Harry had been furious to realize that Croaker and his lot had known about Horcruxes for years and had destroyed several long before he had even been born. The manner in which they had done had been so simple, so easy that even a muggle could have done so. He had learned the truth about the goblins which in truth if he had been paying attention in Binn's class, he would have gotten the gist of.**

 **Mainly he had put together a whole heck of a lot of truths and uncovered enough facts to guide Hermione where he had needed her to go. To a spot where she realized exactly how messed up their lives had become as a result of their mistakes and those others. How the ego of Albus Dumbledore had led to so many, many deaths.**

 **It hadn't taken long after creating those journals to embody them with the Headmaster's very essence which had allowed him to convince others, including the then current Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt that they were real; found during his previous investigation into the stolen tome.**

 **Kingsley being the honorable man he was, had in spite of his fears at what was in them, had exposed what was written inside to the public, destroying the reputation of Harry's late mentor, but in this case, Harry couldn't help considering what he was doing for the 'greater good'.**

 **Yes, it was his good, but Harry truly believed that his plan would be for the betterment of the entire magical world. He had hesitated, worried that what he was doing was dark, but when he had had second thoughts, Harry would recall what had been kept hidden in the Department of Mysteries since the defeat of the Dark Lord Voldemort and remind himself that if they didn't do this, there were worse things that would happen to the magical world.**

 **So, after getting Hermione on board, by guiding her to his way of thinking, he had gone to work on Susan Bones. In truth, that witch hadn't needed much convincing as she had as many issues with the patriarchal world that had evolved after the defeat of Voldemort as Hermione did.**

 **Draco Malfoy had been a bit more tricky... at least until Harry had put uncovered a deep dark Malfoy family secret that Lucius Malfoy had long kept hidden. One that prove the older wizard's complete and total hypocrisy.**

 **It seems as if the very wizard who looked down on newly created witches and wizards as filth had long had a muggleborn mistress. A French witch named Sabine that he had fathered two children with. Draco, whom he and his wife had blood adopted as theirs when he was a toddler and a daughter who had died with her mother.**

 **It was the death of Sabine at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange that Harry had used to get the older wizard to commit suicide. He had made it seem as if Bellatrix had forced her to pleasure her husband and brother-in-law using the imperious curse with the same skill set that Voldemort had once used against him. He didn't know if it was the truth of what happened or not,, but what Harry had seen in the one memory strand he had seen was that Lucius Malfoy had been in love with a muggleborn but had not had the courage to stand up for her or their children, until his five year old daughter and beloved had already died.**

 **Draco was now aware that his mother was not Narcissa Black Malfoy. Harry had felt a small sense of guilt, after all he was living proof that Narcissa had truly loved Draco as her own child, but in the end, he had decided that the truth needed to come out.**

 **He had then used his invisibility cloak to remove the time travel device that the Department of Mysteries had perfected in hopes of 'studying the past' from them. He had been shocked to realize that there was a small contingent of purebloods working in the department who had been plotting to use it to bring back Salazar Slytherin himself.**

 **So, Harry had used Dumbledore's very tactics against the Ministry, but in the end had decided to destroy the Department of Mysteries just in case...**

* * *

 ****

 **Chapter Four**

 **Draco had been avoiding his parents. Now that he knew the truth about his parentage, he felt awkward around his mother and absolute rage and disgust at his father. Everything in the adult inner man wished he dare confront the older wizard, but instead he stayed with the plan, knowing that in the end if he stayed the course, he would succeed in his goals.**

 **This time, he also had hope for better partners. Potter, Granger and if things went correctly, Susan Bones at least if things had gone as they were supposed to.**

 **Still shaking his head at that very idea, Draco began to go through what his role was to be for the next year, until he left for Hogwarts on September 1st, 1990.**

 **His job was to stay the course until he left for Hogwarts, so he just marked the days on a calendar, avoiding changing his history for now and tried to be the younger version of himself.**

 **DMSB**

 ****

 **Susan Bones, however, her part in the plan began much, much sooner. The very morning after her return to the past, she laid the foundations of achieving her part in the plan.**

 **She had convinced her father to allow her to spend a few days at the Ministry with her aunt while he was busy with meetings with the Goblins. While there, she had asked questions, seemingly innocent questions, but when the time was just right, found a way to guide her aunt to go to visit Barty Crouch at home.**

 **Thanks to her rather clumsy stumbling, she exposed the pompous' wizard's very dark secret. His son was alive...**

 **Her aunt had quickly sent her home with one of the auror trainees while a large portion of her day staff was searching the now magically handcuffed man's house. His son had been arrested and was already in a boat being transferred back to Azkaban.**

 **Susan returned home and was speaking to her father when the WWN interrupted a song by the Weird Sisters and made the announcement that Barty Crouch Senior had been holding his son, Barty Crouch Junior, presumed dead death eater captive in his home.**

 **An hour and half hour later, the breathless reporter then announced that Barty Crouch Senior had died of a a heart attack while being questioned about his culpability in his son's prison escape.**

 **That evening, a very weary Amelia Bones had stopped over to visit her brother Elias and her niece Susan. After dinner, once they were sure Susan was out of hearing range, she filled him in all that had happened.**

" **Crouch, of course, was incensed at being accused, but after being dosed with veritiaserum admitted that his late wife asked him to rescue their only child. He was terrified of what the boy might do, so he put him under the Imperio charm, and ordered his house elf to watch over him." She said shaking her head in disgust.**

" **I still can't believe that this has been going on for five years," Elias told her while shaking his head at the idea of such a public figure committing such a huge crime without being caught for so long.**

" **And would still be going on, if Crouch hadn't accidentally pocketed Susan's diary, prompting us to pay him an unexpected visit," Amelia replied. "Fudge, of course, is claiming credit for the arrest of father and son."**

" **What else would you expect," Elias replied with a raised eyebrow. "It's Fudge."**

" **The best part is that with Malfoy in Paris, I was able to push for permission to use veritiaserum on Crouch Junior." She said with a smirk. "I am going to Azkaban tomorrow with a few of my people to speak to him."**

 **Susan who was eavesdropping from her bedroom which was directly over her father's study smiled in delight at having achieved her first assignment. Now she only hoped her aunt would speak to other prisoners, but that might be a little too much to hope for.**

 ****

 **SBAM**

 **Amelia Bones arrived at Azkaban with two of her staff. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Broderick Bode. Finding Alastor Moody waiting for them in the security staff's office, she merely nodded at him, not at all surprised to see the retired auror waiting.**

" **Let's go." Waiting for the dementors to be removed, she filled Moody in on all that had happened. Finding Barty Crouch in an interrogation cell, handcuffed to the table, she nodded at Bode who dosed the prisoner.**

" **What is your name?"**

" **Barty Crouch Junior." The flat effect told her that the potion was working.**

" **Are you a supporter of the Dark Lord known as Lord Voldemort?"**

" **Yes, my master will rule and you will be the first to die." The wizard wearing prison garb replied.**

" **Your master is dead." Moody spat into the corner as he glared at the pissant.**

" **He will rise again. His knowledge and power know no boundaries. He has defeated death." Barty bragged. "I have seen his greatness."**

 **Amelia glared at Moody, the retired auror knew that he wasn't to speak during this interrogation. The grizzled old wizard shrugged and went silent. "Tell me who helped you escape."**

 **Barty repeated his father's version of the story, so Amelia moved onto his past crimes including his torture of the Longbottoms. When she asked him to name his fellow death eaters, he was starting to fight the potion, so with a sigh, she ordered the guards to return him to his original cell.**

 **As the two guards escorted the wizard down the corridor, he struggled with the men leading him and sucker punched the guard holding his arms. Gaining access to the guard's wand, he let out a large shout of joy and killed the man.**

 **The other guard, backed up, showed him the mark still on his arm and smiled as the younger wizard rushed down the corridor to his left. While he wasn't willing to go against the current government without their master, he was willing to assist those who would.**

 **Amelia and Moody were about to exit the prison when they heard the ruckus and Moody used his eye to check the nearby hallways. "Bastard is trying to escape."**

 **Amelia ordered Bode with Moody and told Shacklebolt to follow her as they rushed back into the prison. Finding the dead guard, Amelia shook her head at the lame excuse from the second guard. "Stay here."**

 **Chasing the wily prisoner through the hallways, knowing that the dementors at least were corralled a small distance away, Amelia heard the shouts of the prisoners a few meters forward.**

 **When she turned the next corner, she abruptly stopped. Standing outside of her cell, screaming at Barty to give her his wand was Bellatrix Lestrange. An insane Bellatrix LeStrange outside of her prison cell was not a good thing.**

 **Not even considering the second option, Amelia sent a reducto curse at the witch, removing her wand arm while Kingsley used the summoning charm to gain the wand being held by the escaped prisoner who was trying to free Bella's husband.**

 **Barty's shout of rage at losing control of the pilfered wand had him turning to rush the two Aurors barehanded but thankfully Moody came around the other corner and sent a stunner at him. Barty fell flat on his face and Moody went over and kicked the man in the rear before telling a now shrieking Bellatrix to shut up.**

 **The witch lunged at the older wizard and Bode stepped forward planning on taking the insane witch on and accidentally stabbed her through the eye with his wand.**

 **Amelia heard the odd squelching sound then saw the wand exit the back of the insane witch's head. There was a loud gasping sound then the Lestrange brothers fell to their knees sobbing while to her shock, Amelia found her eyes meeting the slate blue eyes of Sirius Black.**

 **The most infamous of the Azkaban prisoners looked over at his now dead co-conspirator and cousin then at Amelia before walking to the other side of his cell and sitting on his sleeping mat. In a rusty sounding voice, he said "I thought I heard that Barty was back. Don't suppose you arrested his father, did you, Amelia?"**

" **Crouch Senior died, heart attack." She answered, her eyes going back to the dead witch while Shacklebolt was returning the still stunned Crouch Junior to his cell.**

" **Too bad, I would have loved to see him locked up here." Sirius replied then after looking at Moody said: "Well, you look worse than the last time I saw you, Madeye."**

" **Scum." The retired auror spat out. "You are filth."**

" **Yeah, well the accommodations are less than stellar so it has been a while since I have showered. My godson, how is Harry?" Moody was moving forward with clear intent when Amelia stepped between the wizard and the jail cell.**

" **Moody now is not the time." She replied while shaking her head at the audacity of Black to claim to be the Boy Who Lives' godfather. "We have bigger issues to deal with."**

 ****

 **ABHP**

 ****

 **Harry waited until his uncle had left for work and his cousin had lied to his mother and went to hang out with his friends. Stopping what he was doing, he saw his aunt glaring at him, but with the knowledge he still had some of his magical ability, Harry said: "We need to talk, Aunt Petunia."**

" **Boy get back to work." She snapped as she went to watch her stories in the parlor.**

" **I know about magic." He replied. That did it, she froze and then turned to look at him. "Or better yet, I know how my parents really died and that you have been lying to me for years."**

" **We took you in, we didn't want to but..."**

" **Yes, I know. Dumbledore forced you." He said pretending to yawn. "Look, I don't care. I am no longer going to be your whipping boy or your servant."**

" **You will do as I..."**

 **Harry used wandless magic to summon her tea cup and soon had the tea still inside bubbling. When she turned a very light green color, he said "It ends now, Aunt Petunia. I am done being your servant."**

" **H-how are...you need a w-wa-wand." She stuttered.**

" **Not always." He replied and when he saw her looking towards the sky outside the window, he chuckled and said "Its considered accidentally magic until I get my wand and no one will even say anything about it. Young wizards are expected to have spontaneous bursts of magic, Aunt Petunia. Just like my mother used to as a child."**

 **When she shuddered, he said "It's time to make a few changes, Aunt Petunia. I know about my mother, I know about Hogwarts and I even know about the boy who grew up down the block who told my mother about magic."**

 **Seeing her stiffen, he said with a slow smirk. "Yes, I even know about Severus Snape, Aunt Petunia."**

" **You are going to talk to your husband and your son, tell them that I will be leaving next September until then I am no longer your servant, Dudley will cease harassing me. I will get new clothes for school like any other boy has..."**

" **Vernon will never stand for that." She shouted at him.**

" **Aunt Petunia, that is your problem because you see I can do more than wandless summoning charms and heating charms and I won't hesitate to do so." He replied. "Oh, and I am moving into Dudley's second bedroom today."**

 **When she began sputtering again, he looked at her and said: "If you had died, my mother would have never treated Dudley as you have treated me."**

" **You are a freak, my Dudley..."**

 **Harry interrupted her and snapped "No, I am not a freak. As for Dudley, you are ruining your son's life. He is obese and you have turned him into a bully as he watched how you have treated me, all because you were jealous that my mother was a witch and you weren't. I know that you sent the Headmaster a note wishing to attend Hogwarts..."**

 **Petunia gasped, her hand on her fast beating heart, shocked at the secrets that Harry was exposing. "Y-you..."**

" **I will be gone as of September first next year until then we have to muddle along, Aunt Petunia," Harry replied.**

 **Petunia watched as Harry walked out the door, his chores left unfinished. She didn't stop him, too shocked at all he had revealed. Sinking onto the sofa, she stared blindly at the television screen, not comprehending anything.**

* * *

 ****

 **Chapter Five**

 **Draco was not a happy wizard as his mother left him at the Chateau in Lyon, to go spend time with her friend in Paris. His father had left the house early that morning and he had long forgotten how boring life had been at the age of ten.**

 **Aimlessly wandering around the large stone building, he eventually settled into the library on a comfortable sofa and called for a house elf to bring him some tea and biscuits.**

 **Seeing Dobby, he froze. He had forgotten what Potter had warned him about his father's treatment of the house elf and after the elf had delivered his snack, Draco considered how to work on altering his father's behavior before Potter and he met the next year.**

 **Noticing the Daily Prophet on the desk, he lifted it and read the headlines. With a frown, he remembered the rumors about how the dark lord had been resurrected and realized that returning this Barty Crouch to a jail cell was a part of trying to prevent his return.**

 **That the wizard's father had died, made no difference to Draco as he was a nonentity as far as he was concerned. All he recalled about Crouch Senior was his visits during the TriWizard Tournament and that one of the Weasleys had once worked for the man.**

 **Hearing footsteps, Draco settled back onto the sofa and summoned an age appropriate book about quidditch. When his father entered and strode to his desk, dropping another newspaper on top of the one already there, Draco heard his muttering good afternoon to him.**

" **Father."**

" **Your mother will be returning soon, we must return to England right away," Lucius informed him while flipping open the paper to read the rest of the article, allowing Draco to read the headline.**

" **Bellatrix LeStrange killed by Aurors while trying to escape Azkaban prison." It showed a picture of the crazy woman shouting at him from the cover, clearly trying to strangle someone.**

 **The sound of heels on marble preceded his mother into the room and then Narcissa looked at her husband and said "I heard. I see you found out."**

" **From Fudge. His owl arrived this morning. How do we react?" He inquired.**

" **Simple mourning of a lost sister. No mention of her connections or ours. I play up how she died too young as she paid for her crime." Narcissa replied with a frown at the headlines. When she noticed Draco, she said: "Thank Salazar this happened this year, before you arrived at school."**

" **Why would...?"**

" **Narcissa, I am not sure that this is wise." Lucius tone had Draco hiding his interest by moving closer to his mother.**

" **Lucius, he is going to Hogwarts." The blond proclaimed. Seeing Lucius frowning but nodding in agreement, she stated "It's for the best. As for Bellatrix and her rather lamentable attempt at an escape, it's best to speak of it as little as possible."**

 **Draco felt like he was missing something, something big as his father shouted for the house elf and ordered it to return their personal items to their house in Wiltshire before Lucius side apparated Draco home while his mother brought herself.**

 **Once in his room, Draco tried to figure out what he had missed because clearly, he had missed something. There was something about Bellatrix' escape and death that had his father and mother worried.**

 ****

 **SBDM**

 ****

 **Susan had been disappointed that her aunt hadn't done a bit more research regarding Sirius Black, but Harry had expected that and had made his plans accordingly.**

 **It was now the first week in October, a year before she was to start Hogwarts and Susan was missing having a wand. She was also more than a tad bit bored, as a result, she had taken to researching the Goblins, well aware that there was to be an issue between them and the magical world soon after the defeat of Voldemort over the sword that had belonged to Godric Gryffindor.**

 **She was considering contacting Hermione or Harry, heck even Malfoy, but she could not find a legitimate reason to do so. Instead, she decided to approach her father about having a small get together with other Hogwarts students that were to attend school in her year, maybe that would help somehow...**

 **SBHG**

 **Hermione Granger had her wand, since her birthday in September, had read all of her books and was researching as much as she could get away with while pretending to be a normal primary school student, albeit a very intelligent one.**

 **She had known that the best time to deal with Crouch was that summer, from their research they had known that Crouch Senior had been vulnerable but she couldn't help wishing that they had returned closer to the time that they were to attend Hogwarts.**

 **Still, at least she didn't have to deal with Harry's relatives like he did. It took everything in her not to go to Privet Drive and use magic to punish them for harming her friend, but as Harry had pointed out, he was more than capable of dealing with them for the time being.**

 **With a heavy sigh as she looked at the calender and wished that there was more she could now, she returned to reading her book about magical laws and the Wizengamot courts.**

 **HGHP**

 ****

 **Harry was called down to the parlor. He had been expecting this meeting since the day a month before when he had confronted his aunt. He had heard the howls of Dudley when informed that Harry was moving to his second bedroom, had heard the dangerous muttering of Vernon, but he had stuck to his plan.**

 **He had shown Vernon that he could do magic, mainly by summoning a beer when the man had ordered him to get him one. The sight of his hands shaking had had Harry feeling positive that he understood that the young boy was not backing down in his demands.**

 **So for the last month, he had slept in that barely habitable room, his aunt had taken him to a nearby used clothing store and had silently purchased him better fitting and less stained clothing, she had even purchased him a pair of used trainers that were in a damn sight better shape than the ones that had used to belong to Dudley.**

 **Today, however, the school had contacted them regarding Dudley starting a fight with another student. Dudley had been angry at being forced to leave Harry alone and had moved onto a new target, one whose parents were very involved and influential members of the community. While on the phone, the headmaster had mentioned Harry's sudden raise in test scores and how his homework was now being handed in on time.**

 **Vernon had sputtered and then after hanging up had glared at Harry, clearly angry at being ordered to visit so that they could discuss Dudley, especially since he couldn't put the blame on his nephew.**

 **Petunia and he had driven off to their meeting, Dudley protesting his innocence as they left the house. Harry had refused to go stay with Ms. Figg, now that he knew she had had to have seen how he was raised and did nothing, he had no use for the older squib.**

 **Five hours later, much longer than the meeting had to have taken, the Dursleys had returned, Vernon with a smug smirk on his face as he had entered the house. Thankfully this had given Harry just enough time to implement his plan to keep the Death Eaters from gaining anything from the removal of Crouch Senior from his department.**

 **Now the Dursleys were ordering him to appear, so Harry cautiously entered the parlor and saw that Dudley was exiting the house while Petunia was staring at him wearing a very nervous expression.**

" **I want you to pack up all your things, boy. You are leaving my house." Vernon stated as he stood behind his wife. "I am done with your freakishness. I know you are behind my son being in trouble and I won't stand for it. If you are so interested in that freakishness that you have, we are sending you to live with your kind."**

 **Harry raised his eye brow and looking at his aunt asked: "And what about Dumbledore?"**

" **Just go to Dudley's second bedroom and pack up all that stuff you forced me to buy you." She snapped. "I am sending you to live with that freak who told your mother about magic."**

 **Harry couldn't help it, he laughed. "Oh really and you called and told Severus Snape of my arrival, did you?"**

" **I found out where that freak lives, he is still at the same house his parents lived in." Petunia hissed as she pointed at the cheap battered suitcase with the tag from a nearby thrift store sitting near the stairs. "Now go get your things."**

 **Harry went up to his room, eavesdropping the entire time on the loud argument going on in the parlor. He got the feeling that whatever was going on, his aunt didn't want to do something but that Vernon was insisting on it.**

 **Extremely uneasy, Harry packed up the clothes that were clean and now properly pressed and grabbed the books he had snuck into the house and walked back down the stairs where he was ordered to the company sedan that Vernon often drove.**

 **A bit bothered by the oddly clean smell of the car, Harry watched silently as the Dursleys got into the front seat and drove him across the county and to the less affluent part of town.**

 **Arriving on a street filled with boarded up houses and others that looked like they were barely standing, Harry saw them pull up in front of one of the less dilapidated homes and his uncle ordered him out of the vehicle.**

 **Harry hesitated but decided to let this plan of his uncle's play out to see what would happen as he moved towards the house with the strong wards and was about to mount the steps when his aunt thrust a note into his hands and said "Give this to the freak."**

 **Harry didn't even get a chance to respond as his suitcase was tossed at his feet and then with a squeal of the tires, his uncle sped away, clearly feeling he had dealt with the Harry problem.**

 **Triggering the wards knowing that it would get Snape's attention, Harry couldn't help wandering what was to happen next. He was sure that his memories were safe from even the Headmaster as he had used not only occlumency to protect them but a spell that Hermione had developed back in the future. Besides, this way he might have an opportunity to rejoin the magical world a little earlier.**

* * *

 ****

 **Chapter Six**

 **Severus Snape was more than a bit annoyed when he felt the wards on his mother's house in Spinner's End triggered. By the end of the Quidditch game between his Snakes and Flitwick's Ravens which had gone on and on for hours. It had only ended when the Ravenclaw seeker accidentally caught the snitch.**

 **Exiting the castle after dinner, he walked to the edge of the castle wards determined to make the muggle thieves regret this particular foray into crime as he apparated into his back yard and unlocked the door to the house using muggle means.**

 **Finding nothing, but after a revealing charm showed a magical person on his front stoop, Severus muttered dark and dire threats against whoever had triggered his wards.**

 **Yanking open the front door, he froze as he saw the small child asleep with his head on a suitcase and a crumpled note with Snape's last name written on the outer envelope. Groaning and really, really hoping he hadn't fathered some unknown kid with some witch he had slept with in the past, Severus was considering moving the boy so he could see his face but decided to read the note without the chatter he was sure to hear from the boy.**

 **Getting the note, he watched the boy frowning as he merely curled his arms around his head as if to protect it in his sleep. Tearing open the envelope, he scanned it and then frozen when he read the name of the boy.**

 **Shaking his head, certain this was some sort of nightmare, he reread what was written.**

 **Snape,**

 **This is my freak sister's son. He has learned about the magical world and we never wanted him in the first place. If he can't earn his keep, we don't want him here. Since it is your fault my sister and that other freak she married got killed since you told her about magic, you can take the boy. I have attached paperwork giving you custody of the freak. Don't try to find us, by the time you get this we will have moved.**

 **Petunia Evans**

 ****

 **Cursing silently as he read and reread the note, Severus looked at the boy and then at the suitcase. Using his wand to bring the boy and battered suitcase inside, he put a spell on Lily's son to keep him asleep as he went to track down the Dursleys before the Headmaster found out that Potter was at his house.**

 **Arriving at the house of Arabella Figg, being sure to apparate into her backyard, Severus strolled over to Privet Drive and let himself into the house. Not finding any adults, merely a clearly obese child, he demanded to know where his parents were.**

" **Don't know. They went to a meeting." the Boy stuttered scared of the man who hadn't even shown him his wand, but there was something about the greasy haired git with the black eyes that terrified him.**

" **Where is your cousin?" He demanded wishing to find out what the boy knew.**

" **Mum and Dad said the freak wasn't coming back, that they had dealt with him." The boy whined. "I don't know where he is, I just don't want him in my second bedroom, it's mine. It's not fair."**

 **With narrowed eyes at the word freak out such a young child, Severus decided to look into his memories. What he saw had him furious as he watched the gleeful expression on the fat slob's face as his father ordered the boy to bed without dinner after going through a list of clearly impossible chores to be finished in one day.**

 **As the man he believed to be Petunia's husband belittled the boy and said that he was a failure and wouldn't get any of the food he had just cooked, Severus began to get a better picture of things.**

 **By the time he had finished looking through the boy in front of him's memories, he demanded to know what had happened that day.**

" **Nottin. My dad was just mad because the headmaster refused to believe that Harry was behind the other boys beating up this nerd who just started school with us."**

" **Really? I wonder why?" Severus asked sarcastically having seen in Dursley boys' mind how he had tormented this new kid.**

" **Well, dad's friend was promoted to a new school district and this new headmaster doesn't know that he is supposed to let me skate, that the freak is to be written up for things." He whined as he stomped his feet. "It's not fair, I shouldn't have to go to the doctor, I shouldn't have to be punished, it is all the freak's fault. There is nuttin wrong with me!"**

 **Shaking his head, Severus walked out the parlor just as he heard a car pull up. Disillusioning himself and removing all memories of his visit from the obese boy's mind, he watched silently as his parents told the boy that they were moving and that they had dealt with the freak.**

 **When the fat boy asked if he was dead with an eagerness that had Severus wanting to curse the kid, he was sickened as his father said "Unfortunately no, eventually, someone from there would notice and we don't wish them to show up. We sent him to live with his freakish kind. Now, go gather what you need for the night, we have a team of movers coming tomorrow."**

" **I don't wanna move..." The fat beast whined.**

" **Now, Dudley, don't worry, the new house, it has an indoor pool and there will be no more freaks bothering us." His mother was saying.**

 **Curious as to how they could afford such things, Severus waited until the wife had gone upstairs with their son then still disillusioned, looked into Petunia's husband's mind. Seeing how they were intending on still getting paid the funds for Lily's son, Severus decided that he would put a stop to that, but that left him with a small problem.**

 **What to do with the boy?**

 **SSLM**

 **In London, Lucius Malfoy was secretly meeting with Cornelius Fudge. As he heard the full story regarding his sister in law and Barty Crouch, he hid his anger at the fools attempts to escape Azkaban thereby once again putting the spotlight on his missing master.**

" **Still, some good came of it." Fudge was simpering as he told Lucius about the now open position he was now required to fill. "Department Head of the Office of International Magical Cooperation, a feather in any wizard's cap."**

" **Might I offer a few suggestions..." Lucius said with a knowing smirk.**

" **You may, however as you know, I am duty bound to at least ensure that there is an open hiring session for the job." They both knew that the bribe would be sent and that he would choose to hire one of the wizards Lucius would suggest.**

" **Of course, we wouldn't want to violate any laws, now would we." Lucius smoothly replied as he exited the pub and apparated to his office.**

 **Now seated behind his desk after having spent time with his own staff, the wizard was considering just who to place in such an important position when his assistant arrived with a scroll. "Sir, this arrived for you, just now by owl."**

 **Lucius took the scowl and dismissed the wizard before looking at the unknown wax seal. A snake wrapped around a staff was pressed into the dark green wax. When his dark mark burned, Lucius grimaced as he realized EXACTLY who had sent him this note and that it was to obey at all costs.**

 **Frowning as he opened the letter, he read what was inside and tried to figure out the benefit to his master of THIS particular wizard getting the position.**

 **While he couldn't come up with any, he knew better than to refuse to obey; so locating some plain parchment and with a small sack of galleons added, he sent the letter off to Fudge, still not understanding the reason for promoting some minor pureblood like that fool Amos Diggory to head the Department of International Magic Co-Operation unless he wished for Macnair to become the head of his former department.**

 **LMAB**

 **Amelia Bones had had a busy month, she had spent most of it writing reports regarding the Barty Crouch mess. With Barty Senior dead, she still had unanswered questions, but she was not going to risk approaching his son for the answers. Not as long as she didn't know who to trust, that was.**

 **The death of Bellatrix Lestrange had been a complete wash in that many had been happy and the few who had been upset hadn't dared to complain about it to her face. She had expected a visit from a member of the Malfoy family, either Lucius or Bellatrix' sister herself.**

 **Instead, there had been a mere letter of protest and even Fudge had been unwilling to say anything more. Bode had resigned, it had been his first kill and the man was still having nightmares, so she had reluctantly accepted his letter of resignation. He had already gotten a position working in the colonies so she could only wish him well.**

 **So closing the file, Amelia was about to ask her assistant to file it when something stopped her. The witch leaned back in her chair and biting on the end of her quill, a bad habit picked up at Hogwarts and tried to figure out what was still nagging at her.**

 **As she went through memory after memory, something tickled the back of her brain and she finally recalled what it was. The conversation with what had seemed like a still sane Sirius Black and his outrageous claim of being the Boy Who Lived godfather.**

 **Standing, she walked to the filing department and after a quick conversation with her old house mate, Julia Abbott was soon promised any and all files related to the Black matter. About to exit, she turned to the other witch and asked "What about the Potter boy? Didn't Dumbledore seal all files related to him? If not, we might wish to consider doing so."**

" **I would think he had, but will look into it," Julia replied as she made herself a small note to look into the files after locating the ones her friend had asked for.**

 **ABSS**

 ****

 **In Spinner's End, Severus Snape could only stare at the boy fast asleep on his sagging and old-fashioned sofa. "What on earth am I going to do with you? If Albus finds out that you are here and that the Dursleys have done a runner... he will push me to keep you. I know just how that manipulative old goat works. What do I do with you?"**

 **A half hour later, Harry awoke, startled as he realized he didn't know where he was at first, then it came to him. He was in Spinner's End at the home of the wizard who would become one of his least liked professors. "Sir?"**

" **Mr. Potter." The tall man in the shadows replied. "I would hope your so called family explained why they brought you here."**

" **Not really but I could hazard a guess. I learned the truth about magic." He replied.**

" **Might I inquire how you did that?" Severus asked.**

" **You won't believe me," Harry replied. Seeing the raised eye brow on the man, he sighed then created a false memory and said "I saw a man in a bowler hat who tilted it at me once a day. He looked familiar. I uh, well I have been having these odd dreams and uh, well there was this other man one day. He was stealing things and smelled like a drink. Something from my dreams told me his name..."**

 **Severus nodded, then asked "Magic?"**

" **I saw him disappear right in front of my eyes," Harry said then told the other man. "When...when I dreamed that night, I saw my mom die... And now that I am here, I know that I saw you that evening."**

 **Harry had seen Snape, just in the memories that the wizard standing in front of him had given to him the night he had died. Still, thanks to how far he had progressed, if Snape were to attempt to look into his mind, it was what he would see. Which was all that he needed at least for now?**

" **We have to figure out what to do with you," Severus replied.**

" **I did some searching about, what about my godfather or my father's other friend, Lupin?" Harry prompted. He wasn't sure it would work, but the last thing he wished was to come to the attention of the Headmaster too soon.**

" **Black betrayed your parents and Lupin fled," Snape said, keeping his tone neutral. There was something off about this boy, but for now, he would let the boy think he believed every word he said.**

" **I am guessing staying here by myself is out of the question?" Harry weakly asked. "My aunt and..."**

" **I know how they treated you. It wasn't right but no self-respecting adult would leave a ten-year-old on his own.**

" **What about family property? Maybe one of the house elves could supervise me?" Harry asked biting his lip.**

 **Now convinced something was off, Severus was going to summarily reject such an idea when he had a thought and asked the boy to call for a Potter House-elf.**

" **How do I do that?" Harry inquired.**

" **Just demand that your house elf appear." Severus stated and seeing the boy's confusion, rolled his eyes and said: "Say that you are Harry James Potter and that you require the assistance of any house elf tied to you through magic to appear."**

 **Harry felt silly, certain that no elf would appear as he was well aware that Voldemort had killed all Potter family elves the night he had killed his grandparents, but he did as ordered. To his shock, Kreacher appeared.**

" **Half-blood boy smells like them." The crazy elf muttered as he bowed to Harry. "Why has you called for us?"**

 **Severus was shocked to see an elf wearing the Black family crest appear. Yes, it was a filthy disgusting towel but the crest was clearly visible on it. How on earth had Potter managed to call this elf to him? "Who owns you?"**

" **We are the elves that belong to family Black. With the traitorous son in prison, magic demands that I answer to his heir." the elf muttered while glaring at Harry. "Which be he."**

 **Harry was stunned, this had not happened during the previous time line, but then he had never tried to call for a house elf. Yet, here Kreacher was, bowing to him and saying he answered to him.**

 **Severus listened as the insane house elf muttered about his late dead mistress and how he resented having to answer to a half-blood. He listened and frowned as instead of solving his problem with Harry it created an additional issue. How on earth was Potter the heir to the Black fortune, he was certain that his godson Draco was next in line...**

 **Maybe with Bellatrix' death, something had changed? Still, he had a problem and when he had solved it he would looking for the answers to his questions. "Is the ancestral home habitable?"**

 **The house elf began to lie when Harry stirred from where he had been standing stock still as he realized he had the perfect solution. When Snape accepted it and agreed to allow the house elf to transport Harry, Harry realized that the other wizard merely wanted to make him someone else's problem.**

" **Take me to Grimmauld Place," Harry demanded then holding onto his suitcase, allowed the elf to do as requested.**

 **Severus Snape wasn't thrilled with the plan, but as long as he didn't have to deal with James Potter's son, he was fine with not knowing exactly who was supervising the boy.**

 **Returning to Hogwarts and letting McGonagall know that he had had a small problem with an unwanted house guest that he had solved, Severus walked back down to his dungeons, hoping that he could keep the headmaster from knowing for at least a year that Potter was in the know of the magical world and loose in it without supervision.**

* * *

 ****

 **Chapter Seven**

 ****

 **Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he awoke in the dusty and dark bedroom early the next morning. He had dodged a very fast bullet the night before and today he had every intention of dealing with turning Kreacher sane again.**

 **First up, he went down to the filthy and decrepit kitchen and spoke the house elf. "I know about Regulus Black and what he asked you to do for him. I know that you believe you have failed your master. I know how to destroy the locket."**

 **His bald proclamation had the house elf staring at him in shock before the house elf muttered about how Harry was trying to trick him into handing over his master's treasure.**

 **With a sigh and wishing he had the power he would have in seven years, Harry said: "I know how to destroy it and if you wish to be the one to do so, I will tell you how so that you may do so."**

 **Harry had been shocked to learn that there was a non-magical way to destroy those horrid things. One that the Unspeakables had discovered. One that any muggle had access to. It was one of the secrets that they had kept in the Department of Mysteries that had so upset him.**

 **So noticing the calculating expression in Kreacher's eyes, Harry said: "If I leave to obtain this item, will you let me back into the house?"**

" **Must. As heir to the master, I can't keep you out of the Black house." The elf muttered as he glared at Harry. "My mistress is horrified at how polluted the air is by your presence."**

" **Well, old Walburga should be grateful that I am helping to honor the last request of her favored son," Harry replied. When the house elf seemed to be debating this statement, he said "I will return in an hour. Have the locket ready."**

 **Kreacher watched the strange boy leave, wishing he dared disobey him, but he had felt the pull on his magic when he had attempted to do so the previous evening, so he sat down to consider his options.**

 **He could find none that wouldn't remove his magic so with a lot of grumbling and great regret he returned to the library as the interloper entered carrying a muggle shopping bag.**

 **After having the house elf help him seal the house to prevent the escape of the soul, Harry merely changed into a set of Sirius' old clothes he had found in his bedroom and after a bit of a search found a wand in the myriad of spares that were kept in the Black house. It didn't work perfectly but it would work at least well enough to do this.**

 **Harry didn't say anything, merely directed the house elf to place the locket in the heavy solid lead container and began to pour the Fluoroboric acid on the silver locket and watched as it dissolved the container holding the Horcrux. It released the part of Voldemort's soul which couldn't find a vessel and was soon desperate for escape.**

 **Harry breathed a sigh of relief when his magic proved strong enough to destroy the wraith that was looking to escape. Sinking onto a nearby chair, he saw the house elf looking at him in surprise at succeeding.**

" **I guess this means you are my new master." He muttered a few more moments then seemed to grow in strength before snapping his fingers together and removing the grit and grim that had covered the Black house for years.**

 **Harry struggled not to let his jaw drop at the immediate change in the house that had long been dark and dreary. Once he had regained his senses, Harry realized he needed to ensure that the house elf kept his secrets, so after getting an oath to keep his secrets from all, Harry went to back to what was to be his bedroom and settled in to read the books he had found.**

 **He was a bit disturbed to realize that the first year books that he had used were very different than the ones his godfather had used. It raised, even more, questions for him as he silently admitted to himself that he had once again escaped from the dangers he had created by altering the future without consequence.**

 **HPHP**

 **It was a few days later while looking at the tapestry with Sirius name burnt off that a memory came to Harry and he realized with a groan that Arabella Figg would have tried to reach the headmaster by now with the information that he was missing.**

 **Asking Kreacher to take him to Privet Drive, he was astounded to realize he was in a bare house except for window shades blocking out all light. Looking around and then out the window, he saw that the lawn was being trimmed by two men wearing a uniform.**

 **Quickly coming up with an excuse, he exited the back door and came around to the front. Playing innocent, he inquired as to where the Dursleys were. When the men gave him a worried glance, he said with a heavy put upon sigh, "I usually get paid to cut their lawn. I was just wandering if this meant I wouldn't have a job next summer."**

" **Sorry kid, all we know is that some bloke came in and hired my boss to keep the lawn cut. Some real estate company guy, something about how the owners hadn't been able to sell the house so they were going to let it out." When Harry nodded, the older guy looked at the boy and said "Sorry kid, about the lost job and all."**

 **Harry merely waved it off and hurried around the corner to the back garden. He had to do something, somehow he had to keep Dumbledore from learning he wasn't staying at the house on Privet Drive and that the Dursleys were also gone.**

 **Harry, stuck in his ten-year-old body had to do a bit of skulduggery but soon had the information he required. He knew his uncle well enough to know that he would wish to keep the income off the books and that he wouldn't have hired a reputable real estate company so within a few hours he had found out what he needed to now.**

 **After a bit of thinking, he asked a reluctant Kreacher to make it appear as if the house was lived in and then sent a note to the real estate company rescinding the letter from Vernon about renting it out.**

 **Once back at Grimmauld, he gathered some galleons, had Kreacher have them converted to muggle funds and sent them to his uncle via a pretend note regarding the rental of the house and that the funds would come to him as cash once a month.**

 **Now, to keep Mrs. Figg from being suspicious. With a smirk, he had an idea and decided to use the gossiping neighbors that often ignored him to do his dirty work. Outside the back door on Privet Drive to his pleasure, he saw Mrs. Figg walking down the street while by the back fence he saw Mrs. Gralloph speaking to her next-door neighbor, so he waited until Mrs. Figg arrived and then played the put-upon ten-year-old to the hilt as he spread his rumors.**

 **He heard the two gossipers stop to listen to his conversation with old Figgy.**

" **Hello, young Harry. I haven't seen you around much these last few weeks." The old squib said while looking at him with worried eyes.**

" **Oh, well Aunt Petunia insisted on taking me with her when she went to try and convince Uncle Vernon that Dudley should live with her after the divorce." He replied. He saw Figgy's eyes widen while there was a small hiss from the neighbors.**

" **Divorce, oh dear."**

" **Yup, Uncle Vernon has a new girlfriend who was his secretary and is going to be his wife." Harry leaned in and staged whispered "Aunt Petunia called her his scarlet woman and said that she had a bun in the oven. The secretary is the daughter of his boss and Uncle Vernon's boss is demanding he do the right thing by her and Dudley wanted to go live with his dad because his dad is now living in a house with a pool and Uncle Vernon got a new fancy car and his mum will no longer be able to afford to buy him things. Aunt Petunia had to get a job and Uncle Vernon gave her the house but she isn't getting any other money. She is working in London and leaves early in the morning and doesn't come home to after dark."**

" **Harry, are you all alone in the house all that time?" Mrs. Figg inquired.**

" **Nope, Aunt Petunia makes me go with her and I have been going to a day center after school in the city," Harry replied. "She wished she could sell the house and we could move closer to her new job, but it is cheaper to live here so we are staying. How are you Mrs. Figg and your cats?**

 **Harry saw the two gossiping ladies go to spread the news and hid his need to laugh while Mrs. Figg just went on and on about her cats after being assured that Harry was still on Privet Drive.**

 **HPHP**

 **Harry returned to Grimmauld, then sitting on the sofa read the newest edition of the Daily Prophet. Finding out his plan for Amos Diggory had worked, he grimaced when he realized that Macnair had been promoted but not to the top spot. No that had been given to Perkins moving Arthur up to the top spot in the Muggle misuse office.**

 **It was now almost Halloween and Harry was trying to figure out how to visit his parent's graves like he had done for the last few years. Annoyed to realize it would take a bit of maneuvering, he inquired from Kreacher if there were any brooms in the house only to be directed to a shed outside.**

 **Finding an older broom, Harry was bemused to realize that the attached plate identified it as belonging to one Sirius Orion Black and that it had his monogram on it. Harry was planning out his route when the fact that he didn't have his invisibility cloak occurred to him. Swearing softly, he dejectedly canceled his plans to visit their grave this year, at least for now.**

 **HPHG**

 **Hermione Granger was going out of her mind, she was stuck with school books that had once excited her young mind, but she knew that the History of Hogwarts book, a book she had read and reread was full of crap so the young girl was truly starting to go out of her mind with boredom**

 **A study of the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot had kept her busy for two weeks, but now, she was stuck with questions she couldn't get answers to until the next year. About to give up, she decided to read the books again, write down any more questions that occurred, this time considering what she knew about the future...**

 **Grabbing a fresh notebook, she copied her original questions and with each chapter added questions in the back of the notebook, specific questions pertaining to mistakes in the past, for when she finally got a chance to speak to her co-time travelers.**

 **HGDM**

 **Draco noticed a slightly different tone at home. His father seemed nervous and his mother, well she was often gone during the day. When she did come home, she would spend a few hours each night with Draco. The adult masquerading as a child could see the sadness in her eyes and unthinkingly asking if she was upset about the death of her sister. If that was why she was so sad, only for the woman who raised him to shock him with her response.**

 **She reached out, cupped his face and then pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Yes, I am sad about Bella's death, my young dragon, but someday when you are older, you will understand that there are things, adult things that would not make sense to you at your age that can weigh us down into sadness."**

 **With that, she left the room and hurried up to the second floor. Draco frowned for a moment as he realized in spite of the many years he had lived, he had never really taken the time to get to know Narcissa.**

 **He had seen what was on the surface, never looking any deeper. Not even when she had saved Potter's life and he had had questions, mainly because after the war, things had at first been too hectic then he had been freed by the Ministry, married soon after that and a parent himself.**

 **His mother had been distant, a proud parent but had been rather unhappy about how he was raising his son. She had been happy he had married Astoria but not how they had lived. Draco could admit that he had loved Astoria, but it hadn't been an all-encompassing love. No, more of a love for the stability, faith and the child she had given him than for herself. Not the way that Astoria had claimed to love him.**

 **Had that been the same way it had been for his parents? Where had his biological mother come into this situation and how had his father even met his biological mother? His mind going from one subject to another, Draco was about to exit the parlor and hurry to his rooms when he heard his father calling his name from the door of his study.**

 **Entering and seated across from the man, he looked at Lucius with eyes way too old for his current biological age and realized he was looking at a man who unlike what he had always believed was not a happy or satisfied man. His ambitions and locked up emotions were more than likely what had led to his mistakes.**

" **Father."**

 **Lucius had briefly looked up from his paperwork and then back down before telling his son that he needed to speak to him regarding some things. Draco frowned at the terse tone but rested against the back of the chair.**

 **Lucius reread whatever was angering him then looking at his son in an assessing manner stated: "With the death of your aunt, I did some research and found that unlike what was believed, you are not the heir to the Black Estate."**

 **Draco almost shrugged. He had learned that many many years ago when during his first meeting with Voldemort, the monster had taken great pleasure in telling him how with the death of Sirius Black, the Black estate hadn't passed to him but to his enemy, Harry Potter. "Father, I was unaware I was in contention."**

 **Lucius had realized the true reason for this fact and felt a sense of relief that his son hadn't been aware of the potential windfall as he replied "I had believed Walburga had left the estate to your aunt who died childless. Unfortunately, it appears that there is another male heir who is closer. Either Sirius or his brother Regulus must have had an illegitimate bastard, it's the only explanation."**

 **Flinching at the words illegitimate and bastard, Draco who was well aware of his true beginnings merely pushed it off as being because of the idea of the child being unacceptable by saying "What if it is a muggle?"**

" **He or she apparently has to have magic, so at the very least they would be a half-blood, Draco. Still below our notice." Lucius replied as he shuffled the paperwork and then looked gain at his son. "In consideration, in case you had expected to inherit, I placed an amount equal to what would have been the Black trust into your current trust account and raised the amount you may withdraw from it without my signature."**

" **Thank you, Father," Draco replied and exited the room after being dismissed.**

 **Lucius watched his son leave and then burnt the papers he had received from the LeStrange/Black solicitor. He didn't want that paperwork to be found and had paid handsomely for all proof to be handed over to him. He had imperioed the man to verify that he had in fact turned over all copies that Bellatrix had had with proof regarding his heir's parentage.**

 **No one, but no one would ever learn the truth and that was for the best. His only fear was that Bellatrix had told her husband the truth, but he really doubted she had. Still, he would watch, if given a chance, he would put an end to anyone learning said truths, the Malfoy name, and station in society was at stake.**

 **Fifteen years ago he had been willing to risk it all for Sabine, but not now, not when there was nothing to be gained by it and everything to lose. Draco would never learn the truth, Narcissa loved the boy, it was one of the few things that they had in common. A system of beliefs, a common background and a love for the boy.**

 **LMSB**

 **Susan Bones wasn't bored in the least, she should have been as the month came to an end. Today was Halloween and she was enjoying her return to the age of ten. She had managed to convince her father and aunt to host a party for all her potential classmates that they knew and she had used it as a chance to get to know some of them earlier than she had at Hogwarts.**

 **The party had included Neville Longbottom, Ernie MacMillian, Terry Boot, Michael Corner, the Patil twins, Tracy Davies, the two youngest Weasleys and Hannah, her best friend. She had wished she dare invite others but knew that it was best to keep it to this particular group.**

 **It had gone well, for the most part. Ginny Weasley had been a bit upset at her brother teasing her for being the youngest there and her response had been a bit odd as she said that she was glad she was the youngest because she knew that Harry Potter was only a bit older than herself, but Michael and Terry had dragged Ron off to play one of the games thereby defusing the situation.**

 **It was at the end of the party that things had truly gotten interesting for Susan as she had overheard her aunt questioning Arthur Weasley about Sirius Black and his odd friendship with her late Uncle Edgar. Clearly, her aunt was looking into things like they had hoped.**

 **SBAB**

 **Amelia thanked Julie and said, "Are you sure that he didn't destroy them for some odd reason?"**

" **No, Crouch was very meticulous. I was asked to go in and check over his records and move whatever wasn't needed for Amos to storage, remember. He has files on every single meeting he ever had in his career, no note about someone's idiosyncrasy was missed. I truly have no records and don't think any exist regarding Sirius Black and an investigation, let alone a trial."**

" **The court scribe has nothing either," Amelia stated; her mind searching for all the reasons that this could logically be. "I asked him, explaining that I was concerned about any trial for death eaters that Barty was involved in, just in case. He was a bit annoyed at first, then when he didn't find anything regarding Black's trial but every other death eater, he came to me and says there isn't even a notation of having had a trial. You know how Rawlins despises Dumbledore, right?"**

" **I have heard rumors, it's why he hasn't been promoted. His dislike of the old man, why?" Julie asked.**

" **It all goes back to Rawlins late wife's death at the hands of Death Eaters. He wanted Severus Snape questioned because his wife was poisoned and Dumbledore prevented it. Anyhow, he dug for the files, even going so far as to dig into our archive of Daily Prophets and there is no mention of a trial. When he found nothing, he did a bit more research and is now claiming that the Chief Warlock used his titles and fame to usurp Sirius Black's position as Harry Potter's godfather."**

 **Julie gulped and said "Remember that other subject I told you I needed to talk to you about? Well, Sirius Black IS the Potter boy's godfather. It's a well-hidden secret, but I found the proof and the Headmaster sealed the Potter will before any accusations regarding Black became known. Before the Longbottoms were attacked by death eaters."**

" **What does that tragic event have to do with things?" Amelia asked as she leaned back in her chair to get a good look at Julie who seemed perturbed about something more than the news about Black being the Boy Who Lived's godfather.**

" **Because of the Potter will, which I read in spite of it being sealed, Alice Longbottom was the Potter boy's godmother and along with Black was named the guardian of the boy. The Headmaster sealed the will, named himself the boy's magical guardian and unknown muggles are his legal guardians, but according to Octavia Wood, no home checks have ever been done like are arranged for most other orphans." Julia stated.**

 **ABHP**

 **The next few months passed by, Harry finding delight in wandering around London on his own but still going over his school books. He might not need to be attending primary school, but it had been many years since he had had to recall the theory behind the magic he used every day.**

 **Kreacher had come over to his side, just like the house elf had changed his tune in the future. He tended to the house, grocery shopped and had after a bit of persuasion moved Walburga Black from the front hallway to an upstairs parlor. Harry had been being very careful with the funds, still sending money to his uncle for rental of the house to cover for his being gone.**

 **He would spend a few hours on Sunday being seen in Little Whinging, but that was all that was needed. Arabella Figg had never asked after his aunt, had even 'babysat' him for a few hours one Sunday when Harry had set it to avoid looking suspicious.**

 **She had questioned him on things a bit more intently but Harry had passed off the better fitting clothes and such as with Dudley being gone his aunt spending more time with him. The elderly squib had bought it and Harry had eventually escaped her and the cats to return to Privet Drive where Kreacher showed up to bring him back to the manor.**

 **While he had not gone to see his parents on Halloween, Harry had snuck to visit them on December 1st and had quietly told them what he was intending on doing. He had almost felt a sense of peace in that moment before he had quietly called for Kreacher and returned to the manor to find a small female house elf awaiting him.**

 **Kreacher shrugged and muttered saying "Winky needs a family and you need another house elf."**

 **Harry wasn't happy, mainly because he still had issues with bonding with house elves and knew that Hermione would let him have it when she eventually found out that he now owned two house elves. However, he also couldn't turn the young house elf who had been turned on by her master in his previous lifetime away. So now Harry Potter was standing in the front study, following Kreacher's directions as he bond Winky to him.**

 **HPHGDMSB**

 **Christmas proved interesting for Harry. He had put up a tree with the help of the two house elves and had purchased them presents. He had also purchased himself a few gifts and wrapped them, wryly amused at what he had done. He had considered sending Hermione a gift, but had known that wasn't a good idea.**

 **He had given the two house elves their gifts and to his shock, they had quickly traded them with one another. He had learned that Kreacher loved to knit and sew, and that Winky loved muggle style games. He had quickly decided to purchase her several more after being beat by her at checkers, then a muggle game called connect four while Kreacher had proudly shown off his first creation. A sweater in Slytherin colors that he quickly wrapped around his neck before hesitating and asking Harry for permission to wear it.**

" **You may wear whatever you like, Kreacher." He replied a bitter taste in his mouth at the idea of anyone having to ask permission before wearing a sweater. The older house elf grunted in reply then muttered something to Winky about dinner.**

 **Susan Bones was upstairs, putting away all of her new presents and trying to eavesdrop on the conversation between her father and her aunt. She had heard snippets of things for the last few months that had assured her that her aunt wasn't standing back and allowing the world to do what needed to be done.**

 **She had heard words about Albus Dumbledore, had heard mention of the latest headline which had had Macnair, the second in command of the Department for the Regulation and Control of magical creatures had been caught doing something which her aunt had only spoken of in whispers to her father.**

 **Her father, however, had laughed long and loud and the headlines had described the man as having had an extra close relationship with his wand. Whatever had happened, Macnair had been not only fired but banned from the Ministry in spite of his denials.**

 **Susan was not sure what Harry was up to, but she was sure it was him, after all, who else would make sure that a former Death Eater would be caught in the Minister's very own office by the man himself and his Undersecretary.**

 **Listening to her aunt mentioning that there was no trace of Harry Potter anywhere and that Dumbledore was still controlling all access to the boy and that even the Goblins were questioning things had Susan rather glad that she was on their side.**

 **SBHG**

 **Hermione Granger was seated across from her father, her arms wrapped around her newest book as she grinned at his excitement. "But dad, we watch this every year, You already know what is going to happen."**

 **Her father pulled her closer, wrapped his arms around his little girl and pressed a kiss to the top of her forehead and said: "That is the best part."**

 **Watching him watch her as she giggled reminded Hermione of how worried her parents were about her. They had noticed a change and while they believed it was due to her finding out she was a witch, Hermione knew that it was because the adult girl inside was finding it hard to relax and be a child again.**

 **Two hours later, as the littlest Cratchit boy said God Bless us, she yawned and struggled to stay awake. Feeling her father lift her and wanting to protest, she instead wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered: "I love you, daddy."**

 **Placed in her bed, her covers pulled him, Hermione waited until her father had left the room and wiped the now free-flowing tears. She had lost touch with her parents after her mistake of marrying Ron and this time with them was killing her as she frequently found herself wanting to apologize for her future mistakes.**

 **HGDM**

 **Draco saw his father's frown and put a polite smile on his face as he spoke to his business associate. When the man exited the door, he went to the study without a word and sat on the chair he did most of the time in the future.**

 **His father entered the room and gave him an assessing glance then suggested he head up to bed. "I am rather sure that you will be up at dawn tomorrow to ride that new broom of yours."**

 **Draco merely thanked him again for the presents and went to his room, unaware that his father was watching him the entire time. When Narcissa entered the study and sat across from Lucius, he asked: "Have you noticed anything unusual about Draco the last few months."**

" **He has had a bout of maturity that was long needed, but otherwise no." She answered as she stood and walked to the door herself. "Lucius, you have complained for the last few years about his not growing up, now he is, just be happy with it."**

 **Lucius let her leave, knowing she wouldn't understand as he stood and went to the large picture windows overlooking the back garden. Standing there, he tried to piece together what it was that bothering him about his son, but there was nothing concrete, just this odd sense that things weren't right and that Draco seemed almost bored with life.**

 **Across Great Britain, families celebrated the holidays. In Ottery Catchpole, a young girl hugged her latest Harry Potter book to her chest as she fell asleep while her brother down the hall was snoring up a storm after having spent the day filling his stomach with the delicious food his mother had made.**

 **His twin brothers were looking in awe at the prize they had relieved Fitch of. A map that was absolutely incredible. Watching the Headmaster's tower, they saw that their least favorite professor had just entered the room, so they moved on to check out the other houses.**

 **Hufflepuff had a few students who stayed behind, including one of their classmates, Cedric Diggory whose parents had to go to France for some fancy dress ball and their son had begged to be left behind.**

 **Ravenclaw had a few more seventh and fifth-year students as they dutifully prepared for their OWLS and NEWTS. Slytherin had three students whose names were visible, all in their common room seated near the fireplace, probably plotting world domination.**

 **In their own house, they saw their Head of House entering the tower and then after a few words with the students there, joining the Headmaster and Snape in largest of the towers.**

 **Severus listened as the Headmaster nattered on about the holidays and his plans for the upcoming spring semester, wanting nothing more than to return to his own quarters to read the book he had gotten as a present.**

 **It along with several others in the series had arrived anonymously, but he truly didn't care. Reading about the British Secret Agent, this muggle James Bond had been intriguing him since reading the back summary earlier this year at his mother's house in Spinner's End.**

 **Just as he began to plot his escape, he heard Minerva mentioning that she was expecting a visit from Amelia Bones who was looking into future Aurors. As he heard the Headmaster make some recommendations, Severus hid his need to scoff. Two were complete dunderheads, one, well even he was aware that Charlie Weasley loved Dragons more than any person he had ever met.**

 **When Minerva mentioned that she would be out of the castle later that afternoon, Severus began to realize that this would mean no reading for him, as he would have to be in charge as Albus would also be gone.**

 **Exiting the tower with a bitter taste in his mouth, feeling set up by the duo, he heard Minerva calling his name as she hurried down the stairs after him. "Severus, wait."**

 **Feeling like an errant school boy, a very angry one, his anger ebbs when he saw the scowl and regret on her face. "You didn't know he was going to assign the job to me, did you?"**

" **No, otherwise I would have warned you." She replied with a heavy sigh. "Just once..."**

 **Looking at the nearby portrait she silently added: "That Albus would do the damn job he was hired here for."**

 **Smirking, he replied to her unfinished statement, "Minerva Sybil will give up her afternoon sherry before that happens."**

 **Months past, Harry was surprised to learn from Kreacher that the house elf had been accessing the Black vaults for galleons and hiding them for Harry to find. A bit chagrined, Harry then had a thought and quickly asked the house elf if he thought it was possible.**

" **I could because Miss Bellatrix was a Black. Shes be sending me to her vault, long, long time ago." Kreacher said reluctantly. Upon being told why Harry wanted him to go to the vault, the house elf popped away and came back holding onto the cup.**

" **This be the one master Harry?"**

 **Harry nodded yes, his eyes wide as he saw the house elf glare and say that Harry must honor his promise to take care of those things for his late master Regulus. After requesting Winky go to the store and stay there until called for; Harry used the same fluoroboric acid to destroy the cup.**

 **Calling Winky back, he grinned and said: "Tonight we have pizza."**

" **Are you sure, master. You know what pizza does to Winky." The house elf reminded him. Harry laughed out loud and said "Yes, yes, and yes."**

* * *

 ****

 **Chapter Eight**

 **Susan had gained her wand and a large dose of impatience as her aunt's attention had been diverted from looking into Sirius Black and his guilt by yet another odd occurrence in the ministry. This time, it seems as if Harry had finally gotten his revenge against Delores Umbridge and the mechanism that watched for underage magic at the same time.**

 **The toad herself had ended up stuck in the floo, wrecking havoc against it as a form of travel for weeks and Umbridge who had exited the floor in of all places.**


	12. Chapter 12 Fire Drill

A/N: I updated Taken with what I found on a thumb drive. That is Chapter #8

Chapter One: You always have that bit of hope inside you during a fire drill, that your school is actually on fire. 

Harry found himself drifting off, it was just after lunch and Professor Binns was even more boring than usual. He looked over at Ron, scowling as he recalled how his friend had reacted on Halloween when his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire. Turning his head to his right, he saw Hermione was paying attention to the History of Magic Professor as he droned on and on about yet another Goblin versus Wizard war from over three hundred years ago.

Assessing the classroom, noticing that not a single one of the Hufflepuffs were still awake and that Hermione and he were the only Gryffindors, he picked up his quill and started to write her a note. As he wrote her name at the top of the page, he froze when a large claxon sound seemed to rattle the walls. 

"Whats that?" Ron asked as he lifted his head off of his textbook and stared blurry-eyed at Harry and Hermione. Both of them had no idea what was going on at first until their Professor stopped lecturing and turned to face the students all of whom were now wide awake.

"Students." Hearing the sound of the headmaster's voice coming from the nearby fireplace, they turned to look and listen as the man informed them that they were to exit the castle in an orderly fashion and that this was only a test of their emergency systems.

Outside, Dean and Seamus were standing next to the trees when the muggleborn wizard heard their classmates all gossiping or trying to figure out what sort of test the headmaster was talking about. He let out a loud sigh and looking at Hermione, said: "It reminds me of when I was in primary school and they used to hold monthly fire drills." 

"Oh dear," Hermione said biting her lip. "I hope that you are wrong, Dean." 

"Me too." The fourth year replied with a rueful expression on his face. "When you are a kid, you sort of have this little bit of hope during a fire drill that the school is actually on fire. The thing is that with Hogwarts we actually live at the school so today I am just hoping that the school isn't on fire."

"Thankfully Mr. Thomas, the school isn't on fire." They turned to face their Head of House who looked over her Gryffindor fourth years and announced. "However, there was a small fire in the Great Hall that has created a rather unusual predicament that I must speak with Mr. Potter about."

Harry inwardly groaned and replied, "I swear whatever it is you think I did, I didn't do it." 

With a small smile on her face, Minerva looked at Harry and replied. "We know that, Mr. Potter. You are not being accused of setting the fire. Please just follow me as we need to speak."

Harry did as ordered in time to see several blue robed witches and wizards following a steel-haired woman wearing a monocle and a large frown as she stormed into the Great Hall. "Professor McGonagall, who was that?" 

"I will explain inside Harry. We must hurry because we have to get inside the Great Hall before the Headmaster or Minster Fudge managed to foul things up." She replied as she opened the large door and escorted him into the room.

Harry gasped and looked on in horror as he saw Sirius Black his godfather standing there wearing a huge grin on his smoke-blackened face with clothes that were also covered in the same black soot and ash. Nearby laying on the stone floor was a trussed up Professor Moody and to his shock an equally tied up and stunned Peter Pettigrew. 

"Sirius." Harry rushed forward and pushed his way past the group in blue and threw himself at his godfather and tightly hugged the older wizard completely ignoring the other adults in the dining hall. "What are you doing here? Are you insane?"

"Just the question I was about to ask you, Mr. Black." Amelia Bone said in a rather dry tone. "Mr. Potter since you seem rather fond of this wizard, I am guessing that you don't believe that he was the one who is responsible for your parent's death and the attack on your home?"

"No, it was Pettigrew. I heard him saying it with my own ears. The rat tried to say he had no choice, but it was rather clear that he betrayed my parents willingly." He said his eyes on the rat animagus even as he hoped that this woman was as on the level as she seemed to be. "Shouldn't he be in a cage so that he can't escape?"

"He is under a spell of my own creation which prevents those who can perform the animagus spell from escaping my magical cuffs." Amelia Bone stated. Looking at the second stunned man, she shook her head and said "If I hadn't seen him in his natural form before he drank that polyjuice potion, I would have never believed it. Barty Crouch Junior is masquerading as one of the greatest aurors of all time."

At the same time as she was speaking a young auror rushed into the room with a more sedate witch following while carrying a package she gave to her boss. "Madam Bones, we found the real Alastor Moody locked up in his own trunk, his hair had been sheered in some places but otherwise he is going to be fine." 

Amelia looked over at John Dawlish who was staring at Crouch in horror, she had to call his name twice before he replied. Once she had his attention, she sent him to find the captive wizard's father. "Take my prisoners to the holding cells, minus Mr. Black."

Harry warily stepped in front of Sirius as if to protect him but the aurors, including a tall bald black man who nodded his way, used portkeys to remove the two prisoners. When they had all left, Amelia looked over at Sirius and asked: "That mirror you sent me, where did you get it?" 

"James and I created them while here at Hogwarts. I found them in my old trunk and after figuring out where to locate Peter, I sent one to you. I sent him a note hoping he would show up after I well... Amelia, I snuck onto the grounds of Hogwarts after hearing that my godson's name came out of the Goblet of Fire."

"We will get back to your wanton destruction of a priceless artifact later." She dryly replied as Harry suddenly noticed that the lump of metal that was still billowing smoke and soot had once been the item that had tried to ruin his life. "Please explain what happened next."

"Harry has a map that my friends and I created while students. It shows everyone at Hogwarts including pets and it overcomes animagus spells and polyjuice potion." Sirius stated. "Upon sneaking onto the grounds, I appropriated that map with the intention of locating Peter when he showed up."

Amelia mentally added that to the long list of items she would have to discuss with the supposed criminal. Really, the idea that he had done the impossible and created a map such as he was describing and the absolutely incredible mirror she had been sent were amazing.

"Anyhow, while looking for Peter on the map, I saw that it reported that Barty Crouch was in the DADA classroom. Now I had been delayed accessing the castle because I had seen that very man leaving so I was very curious as to how he ended up returning without myself seeing him. I went as Padfoot and entered the empty classroom and soon realized that what was labeled Barty Crouch looked like Alastor Moody my trainer during my time as an auror.

"I stunned him and tied him up then waited knowing that you should have received the mirror I had sent you by then. I propped up mine so that you would see whatever I saw. As you saw, he soon returned to his natural form. That no sooner happened and then Peter Pettigrew in his animagus form showed up. I stunned him and then placed him in an unbreakable jar."

"I saw that through that remarkable mirror," Amelia replied. "Now, perhaps you would like to explain why you brought those two uh, wizards to the Great Hall." 

"Certainly," Sirius said his grip tightening on Harry's arm as he explained about how during his visit that spring, no one had seen Peter but Harry and his friends and that the Minister had denied it was possible. "I wanted as many eyes on these two as possible. No offense Amelia but I couldn't risk that no one would believe that I didn't confound you like I was accused of doing to Harry and the others."

"I understand and even applaud your thinking." She replied then they heard the sound of Minister Fudge along with Albus Dumbledore entering the Great Hall. Amelia grimaced when she saw Lucius Malfoy behind the two men knowing that Fudge would either listen to the Headmaster or Fudge's money man.

"Wonderful job Amelia, you caught the fugitive Black." Fudge was crowing as he approached the group in the front of the room near the Headmaster's table. He was grinning broadly but that ended when several aurors portkeyed back into the castle. The man blinked in shock at what he had long thought impossible but that was nothing compared to the frown on the Headmaster's face when he saw it.

"Headmaster, Minister." Amelia acknowledged those two, ignoring the blond aristocrat. "Before we begin, I should explain that after my niece told me about the events that went on in this castle over the last three years, I requested that the Unspeakables find a way to overcome the wards of Hogwarts in the case of emergency."

"I am rather disappointed in you, Amelia. The Ministry does not have the right to override Hogwarts security precautions. After all, Hogwarts is one of the safest places in our world." The Headmaster chided the woman in front of him, expecting her to show at least a slight twinge of guilt. 

When Fudge began to echo his statement, Amelia said "Safest? You had a corridor that the students were banned from three years ago unless they wished to face what Susan described as being warned as certain death, a rampaging troll, a student on a hexed broom and by the end of the year, a teacher who had gone missing with no explanation other than that he went into said banned corridor and harmed the Potter boy. Two years ago, you had several students and a ghost petrified and didn't inform me or the petrified student's parents. I did some searching Albus, I am well aware that the only thing that would do that to students is a basilisk. Oddly enough, I found it in the textbook assigned to your third year Care of Magical Creatures students. I also know that a second year somehow managed to save the day and that you were not on the grounds. I find that rather strange, considering no one but a second-year student was able to figure out what you couldn't." 

When the Headmaster began to protest her statement, she glared him into silence and said "I am not finished. I have heard plenty of rumors about the happenings that year and the only reason you haven't been called to the carpet to answer questions about the situation is that you yourself blocked it. Last year you had an escaped convict wandering around yet you refused to let me assign aurors and instead agreed to host the dementors who slipped their handlers at least twice that I am aware of and Minister, you were legally required to tell me about what Black claimed. Instead, you tried to have him illegally kissed by a dementor." 

When Fudge began sputtering and muttering to Malfoy, she looked at the Headmaster, the Minister, and Malfoy and announced. "I was not here to arrest Mr. Black. I was here to take into custody one Peter Pettigrew who was just minutes ago portkeyed out of this castle after being seen by myself, several unspeakables and an entire squad of my aurors plus reporters from the Wizarding Wireless and the International newspaper reporter here to cover the tournament." 

She saw the Headmaster flinch and Fudge turn a rather sick shade of green at her announcement. "I also saw several more reporters outside who followed Professor McGonagall and Mr. Potter into the Great Hall when I requested she bring him into the room with us. They quickly left after taking photos of Mr. Pettigrew and yet another escapee from Azkaban." 

Hearing both men shouting what, she sighed and glaring at the Headmaster stated "Yes, Minister, I arrived to find the supposedly dead and convicted Death Eater Barty Crouch Junior alive and well. He had been polyjuiced as former Head of the Aurors Alastor Moody. Headmaster, perhaps you would care to explain how you did not notice that one of your closest friends and compatriots was not acting like himself and in fact was a Death Eater?" 

Albus started to answer but she stopped him and stated "That was a rhetorical question, Headmaster. Mr. Malfoy, I don't know if you were aware of this, but the man under the guise of teaching had turned your son into a ferret and had been bouncing him around the hallway and stairs earlier this month. My niece Susan informed me of this when she also wrote to tell me that according to Moody, you, Headmaster had given Moody permission to show the student the three Unforgivable curses. I was intending to speak to Moody about this during my visit here, but now it will be much lower on the list of my priorities." 

Malfoy was torn between enjoying watching Amelia Bones tear Albus Dumbledore's benevolent leader act to shreds and trying to find out what Pettigrew and Crouch had been up to. Hearing the sound of Severus Snape calling out the name Black, he turned only to see Snape throwing a curse his way.

Amelia set up a shield and then sent a stunner at the most hated wizard at Hogwarts. When he was done, she turned to her nearest auror which happened to be Shacklebolt who had returned and snapped. "Arrest that man. Now."

When the Headmaster protested her order, she snarled and said "A teacher who throws a dangerous hex such as the one he did at anyone while an underage wizard was in the vicinity is going to be questioned by myself. Frankly, I have long had doubts about his attitude to his students and particularly to Mr. Potter after what my niece has told me."

Albus again tried to defend Severus only for the tall dark wizard to use a portkey to send Snape and himself to the Ministry. "Minster, I must protest this willy-nilly use of these illegal portkeys on the grounds of my school."

Lucius let out a small dry chuckle and said "Headmaster, while you are its Headmaster you do not own Hogwarts. In fact, this school belongs to its students." 

Amelia inwardly shuddered at being on the side of Malfoy regarding anything but she simply said "Headmaster, you are more than within your rights as Headmaster to file a protest regarding the portkeys but you should know that the Unspeakables searched the books and there is no law stating that they are illegal. In truth, Mr. Croaker was rather concerned because he stated that he considered the wards here at Hogwarts at their weakest since their inception. As the wards are tied to the Headmaster and his or her magic, you might want to look at your own actions before complaining about our need to be able to protect the students here in the castle." 

Fudge looked at Sirius Black and at the Potter boy who was standing in front of him and said: "What are you going to do about Black?" 

Amelia looked at the younger wizard and said "He is free to go. He has committed no crime by escaping from Azkaban because he never had a trial. He should have been released from his cell over twelve years ago. We now have the betrayer of the Potters in custody, I heard from Pettigrew himself about the how and why he did so as well as what really happened in London."

When Fudge muttered something about the wizard being imperioed to confess, the second auror who had returned handed over the medical scan they had ran. "He has only been given veritiaserum, Minister. We did the same with Mr. Crouch Jr."

"Now that that is settled, Mr. Black, if you would show yourself at some point later this week at the Ministry we will return your wand and make sure that you are given reparations for the injustice you have suffered," Amelia stated and she saw Fudge frowning so she hastily reminded him about the laws that were passed during the last war. "I do believe your good friend Mr. Malfoy was a recipient after it was uh, found out he had been arrested in spite of having been, uh, imperioed." 

Fudge went silent, while Dumbledore moved towards his spot at the Head table, He had just noticed the burnt and smoldering wreck that was the Goblet of Fire. He scanned the artifact and moaned at the loss of such an important piece of magical history.

"Sorry about that, Headmaster. I was aiming a reductor curse to stop Peter from escaping and must have missed." Sirius said in his most innocent voice. 

Amelia gave him a sharp glance at that odd tone, while Ludo Bagman, Headmaster Karloff and Madam Maxine entered the Great Hall. 

"Dumbledore, I heard a rumor..." Ludo stopped and stared in shock and horror at the Goblet. "Oh dear and this would have been such a profitable tournament."

"The 'ornament is ended, correct?" Madam Maxine saw as she shook her head in shock at the wanton destruction.

"Yes. I regret it, but without the Goblet and the magic that it created the tournament is over." Ludo announced as he moved forward.

Harry saw Sirius winking at him and wanted to chuckle as his godfather looked over at the Headmaster and said "It's such a shame for the other champions but with my godson entered against his will, I have to admit to being thrilled he will no longer be in danger from a mere sporting event. What I don't understand is why Barty Crouch Senior didn't inform you when Harry's name came out that all you had to do to right this wrong was to announce a draw and relight the Goblet. To me, it almost seems like someone was bound and determined to risk my godson's life for no reason."

"I guess with Barty Crouch Jr being exposed as posing as Alastor Moody we now know who put my name into the Goblet," Harry said. "Still, how is it that no one knew you could declare a draw and that I wouldn't have to compete, sir?" 

Amelia looked at those involved with the tournament. The two from the foreign schools were clearly annoyed with the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Bagman just seemed to be contemplating all the money he must have lost with bets already placed and the Hogwarts Headmaster seemed almost like he was avoiding facing Harry.

It hit her, he had known that he could have gotten the boy out of the tournament. Now, the stories her niece had told her were beginning to make Amelia think that it was more than past time that Dumbledore resigned as Headmaster.

After she had dealt with the chaos of her department, Amelia was vowing that her next project was going to be to look into the dealings of one Albus Dumbledore and his connections to Harry James Potter the boy who lived.

"I do apologize young Harry, but we were not completely sure that you didn't enter yourself in the tournament which meant that the magic would have insisted you compete," Albus stated, his blue eyes twinkling like mad. 

"I told you I didn't put my name into the Goblet of Fire, sir. I don't lie and you know that." Harry said in a cold tone. He felt his godfather's hands tighten where they were resting on his shoulders and he looked up to see that Sirius was glaring at the headmaster.

He heard the sound of a slight cough and turned to see Amelia Bones speaking to the Minister and then the two stepped out of earshot of the Headmaster. 

Harry saw that Lucius Malfoy was assessing him in a rather calculated manner and then the blond looked at Sirius before nodding and with a glance at the Headmaster turned to the auror standing nearby and said to him. "Rufus, I would like to file a complaint regarding the apparent abuse of my son and heir."

Harry tuned out the conversation at that point and looked over to see Madam Maxine and Karkaroff were speaking quietly to one another and then both turned to the Headmaster.

"We are withdrawing our students from any future sporting events with the Hogwarts School and will be filing a request for compensation as a result of the mismanagement of this event, Headmaster Dumbledore." With that, the Durmstrang headmaster bowed towards Sirius, nodded at the ministry officials and then escorted Madam Maxine out of the Great Hall.

Bagman looked like he was ready to cry as he trailed along behind the two foreign headmasters while Malfoy looked at the Headmaster and with a sneer on his face announced. "I will be informing the Board of Governors that I am filing an official protest as a parent of one of the students regarding the dangers that were brought to my attention during this meeting."

"That is a good idea, Mr. Malfoy. Will you be giving them a detailed list?" Harry asked with the most innocent expression he could manage. He saw his godfather's eyes narrow clearly realizing that Harry was up to something. "Will you be including how a former member of the Board of Governors tried to hex a second-year student and was only stopped by a house elf?" 

"You, Mr. Potter will come to a sticky end some day." The older wizard sneered at the young boy and stated: "Why would you protect the headmaster after hearing how he tried to manipulate you into participating in this tournament?" 

"I am not protecting the Headmaster, I am protecting my classmates." Harry replied and then quietly added, "Including your son, sir." 

Malfoy grimaced and was about to respond when Minister Fudge approached Harry and Sirius. The man looked over at Lucius Malfoy, invited him to join him at the Ministry for the upcoming meeting before turning to Amalia Bones and asking if she minded his inviting Mr. Malfoy.

The blond aristocrat looked a bit thrown at how deferential the Minister was being to his Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. "No, no, Mr. Malfoy is more than welcome to attend an interrogation any time he wishes in my office. In fact, there is an open door policy regarding his participation." 

Sirius chuckled softly as he realized exactly what Amelia Bones was saying, he could tell that Lucius did as well by the glare the man directed her way before he announced that he would speak to the Minister at a later date before exiting the Great Hall.

Soon it was only the Minister, his guards, the five aurors along with a very quiet Minerva McGonagall, Harry, Sirius and the Headmaster who seemed almost adrift as he stared at the molten remains of the Goblet.

"Minister, might I suggest that you speak to the press waiting outside before we head to the Ministry. Just to reassure them that we have everything under control. You might want to mention that besides the two prisoners, we have also taken into custody Severus Snape for reckless endangerment." Amelia said.

"Surely that won't be necessary. After it would ruin the career of great man." Albus protested. "Severus Snape is an acclaimed Master of Potions."

"Headmaster, if you believe so much in the man's innocence, be his representative in front of the Wizengamot, but for now, we must do this by the book," Amelia announced before taking one of the portkeys out of her robe and handing it to Sirius Black and Harry Potter. "Mr. Potter, your presence is requested in the courtroom for this trial. I am sure that your Head of House will excuse you from attending classes the rest of the day." 

Before the Headmaster could complain, Bones moved to place her hand on the notepad portkey and the three of them disappeared from the Great Hall. There was silence for a moment and then the Headmaster began to complain to Fudge about the head of the DMLE removing students from school without his permission and the portkeys.

Fudge just assured him that he would take care of it later, went to speak to the press and soon had them placated by the news regarding Peter Pettigrew, Barty Crouch Junior and the innocence of Sirius Black, escaped convict.

"Sir, what was on fire?" asked Rita Skeeter who had been unable to get close even in her animagus form.

"Mr. Black while trying to restrain Mr. Pettigrew accidentally blew up the Goblet of Fire. It tore asunder the magical properties of the Goblet and we have canceled the tournament instead of calling a draw and pulling names as would have been required by the news that Barty Crouch while masquerading as Alastor Moody had illegally entered Harry Potter in under a fourth school."

"So, Mr. Potter did not enter the tournament willingly as originally reported?" Rita called out while nearby the students who were still outside shamelessly eavesdropped.

"No, the young man did not enter his own name into this tournament." Fudge didn't know that for sure, but it was what the Potter boy claimed and he did not want to get on his bad side for now. Not when the boy not only had the backing of his own family name and reputation but the backing of the House of Black. 

"Minister, what happens now?" Another reporter called out.

"I have spoken to Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. We are going to arrange for trials for Peter Pettigrew, strip him of his Order of Merlin and then if and when he is found guilty, he will be sentenced according to our laws. We will have by then found out what Barty Crouch Senior knows about his son's escape from Azkaban and will arrange for a trial if required."

"Mr. Crouch Junior will be questioned and then returned to his cell as he was previously convicted of attempted murder and having used an Unforgivable curse. There will be no new trial for him." Fudge announced. "We will be arranging for former auror and now found innocent Sirius Black to have his wand returned to him. He will also be given compensation for his illegal incarceration at the hands of the previously mentioned Crouch Senior."

Fudge was enjoying himself, as the press was eating out of his hands, going out on a limb, he added "We will also be righting the wrong done to Mr. Potter and Mr. Black and as of this moment I am authorizing that Mr. Black be given legal custody of his godson, one Harry James Potter."

Albus who had been more than happy to stay out of the melee that the press had created, froze at that latest statement. He did not want Harry living with Sirius Black. It was very important that Harry remained with his aunt in Little Whinging, he would just have to explain to Sirius about the blood wards and promise that he would do his best to arrange it so that Harry could spend a week with the man before school started. He felt that was more than generous.

As he began to pay attention to the annoying wizard speaking to the press, he was about to take a step forward when he realized that might not be a good thing as the reporters all seemed upset with Severus regarding his accidental use of magic against his childhood tormentor, Sirius Black.

"Headmaster, what do you have to say about your Potion's professor attacking a student?"

"Headmaster, there have long been rumors of disagreement between your Potion's professor and Mr. Potter. Is there any truth to the matter and why has this man been allowed to be so rude to a student like he has to Mr. Potter?"

"Headmaster, considering Professor Snape's past indiscretions as a Death Eater, having him working as a teacher was risky in the first place, but putting him in a position of authority regarding the Boy Who Lived, well it seems just a bit dangerous. What do you have to say to that?"

Minerva noticed that the Headmaster was moving forward and she was quite certain that he was going to attempt to defend Severus, so moving to his side, she leaned in and whispered. "Albus, right now, the best you could hope for is that they don't destroy you right along side of Severus if you were to defend him. Just let it be for now."

When he looked like he was about to protest, she leaned in and whispered "Albus, they are not on your side and I have warned you repeatedly about Severus Snape and his attitude towards the students in houses other than his own. How long do you think it will take before one of the younger reporters write their own version of the truth or ask the right questions of former students. Just say that the truth will be known after the trial and back away."

The Headmaster did not want to take her advice but when he lightly skimmed the minds of the reporters gathered, he soon realized that none of them were going to be sympathetic to the Potion's master and decided to play up his all knowing and overly patient persona.

"Witches and Wizards, I only ask that you not condemn a wizard on rumors and innuendo. I am quite certain that our Potion's Professor and Head of Slytherin house will be returning here, to where he belongs before the end of the day. After all isn't that how Sirius Black ended up locked up in Azkaban. I am quite certain that when all of the facts are reported to the Wizengamot, Severus Snape will be acquitted of the false charges against him."

With that, he took a step back, holding up his hands in a request for silence and when it was finally granted stated that Minster Fudge and himself were needed at the Ministry and that all would be known to them at a later date.

The moment they were inside the castle, he ordered Minerva to take charge of Hogwarts and with a nod towards the two aurors who were still on the premise suggested to Cornelius that they head up to his office to take the floo to the ministry.

Five and a half hours later, an excited Harry Potter was rushing into the common room in Gryffindor tower looking for Hermione. Seeing her seated in their favorite spot with a book in her lap, he skidded to a stop mere feet away and announced. "Sirius has been cleared, he has been given legal custody of myself and Peter was found guilty."

She quickly closed her book, stood and in spite of the large group gathered around threw her arms around Harry and shouted yes. "What happened, Harry?"

"Yes, Harry, what happened?" George Weasley asked from where he was standing nearby along with most of the house. Harry gave George a quick smile and seeing Fred returning carrying a small box, he said: "It's a long story."

"Harry, I know you want to speak to Hermione, privately, but Barty Crouch, would you be able to tell me what happened to him?" The quiet voice of Neville Longbottom broke through Harry's urgent need for privacy as he recalled all he had learned about Crouch Junior and what he had done to his classmate's parents.

"Let's sit down. I guess, all of you want to know what is going on as well?" Harry asked looking around and noticing that all of the fourth years were there except Ron and that there were many many others looking at him for answers.

"If you don't mind, Harry," Neville said biting his lip in a nervous gesture.

"Fred, George, why don't you see if you can get the house elves to bring us up some snacks, but nothing too wild, please," Harry said sounding a bit drained in spite of the excited expression on his face.

Mere minutes later, his housemates having gathered around. There wasn't enough seating room, so quite a few were now seated on the stone floor close enough that they could listen in as Hermione, Neville, the twins and Ginny along with most of his year mates and team mates were nearest. 

"Okay, so when I entered the Great Hall with McGonagall, we found my godfather standing there with Peter Pettigrew and what looked like Professor Moody trussed up like a chicken." He said as he told them what had happened in the Great Hall and explained who the various parties were.

A few minutes later, he said "Anyhow, they were all gathered when Snape entered and fired off a hex at my godfather. Thankfully it missed but Susan Bones' aunt had him arrested." There were a few cheers at that announcement.

Harry continued on, telling them about how the headmaster had known he could have redrawn the names but how it seemed that he had decided against it. He saw Hermione's anger and reached out to grasp onto her hands and said: "It doesn't matter because as I said, the cup was destroyed and the contest was canceled." 

"Still, I would have liked a chance at the eternal glory, not to mention the prize money," Fred replied.

"Fred, who was the last winner of the TriWizard Tournament?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, I am sure Hermione does, though." The twin cheekily replied.

"No, I don't. Why, Harry?"

"Eternal glory? How when no one remembers who the winners have been?" He pointed out to the shock of the others. There were some dropped jaws when they realized not a single name came to mind. "Besides, I think that most of us would consider our lives worth a heck of a lot more than a thousand galleons which was the prize money."

There was some squirming as those who had been so obsessed with entering began to realize that this supposedly wonderful tournament was not worth the time or the effort.

"Anyhow, after all of that, we went to the Ministry with Madam Bones..." Harry stated.

When he finished telling them how Pettigrew had confessed under the influence of veritiaserum, he said "He was found guilty and because of his ability to change into a rat, he was sent through the veil. The Headmaster fought against it, but in a strange coalition, Lucius Malfoy, Minister Fudge, Madam Bones and the Head Unspeakable Croaker were all in agreement and he was sent through just before I was returned to school."

"Did he ever explain why he hid at our house?" Ginny Weasley asked.

Nodding and with a side glance towards Hermione, he said "It was an accident at first, then he decided to stay because Percy who was his owner at first was such a heavy sleeper and it allowed him to escape his rat form for a few hours at night, then the same thing with Ron."

Shuddering in horror, Ginny who moved closer to the twins asked: "He was in his human form in our house?" 

"Yes, especially the last couple of years once Ron got a wand because Percy's wand wasn't very compatible with him, but Ron's was. He confessed that he thinks that is why Crookshanks figured it out, that she thought he smelt like a human." Harry answered. He would stay silent about the rest, knowing that Amelia Bones was intending to speak to Arthur Weasley about things. 

"Anyhow, what about Crouch and why did he put your name in the cup?" Katie Bell asked from where she was seated between Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson.

"Crouch Senior helped his son escape prison a few years ago and has been holding him under the imperious curse all this time. That house elf, Winky helped and when she brought him to the World Cup, the son escaped." 

Harry told that part of the story to those who hadn't been there and then continued "Anyhow, he went to locate his master and found him with Pettigrew."

"His Master?" Asked a male voice that Harry didn't recognize.

"Voldemort." Harry replied and seeing them wincing at the sound of the man's name, said "It's more complicated and I am not actually allowed to tell the whole story but the DMLE and some aurors found what was left of him in a musty old house in Little Hangleton. He is finally gone."

"You defeated him all those years ago when you were still a baby," Ginny said looking at Harry with stars in her eyes. 

"About that, it turns out, I was hit with the killing curse and survived, but only because my mother, not me defeated Voldemort. It is another part I have been asked to stay quiet about until it is revealed tomorrow but there was a prophecy and everyone thought it was about me, but it wasn't. It was about my mom." Harry said proudly. "She was the one who defeated him."

"Oh, Harry." Hermione's tone had him looking to her with a smile on his face. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, better than I have been in so long." He answered while reaching out for her hands and holding them in a tight grip said "From here on out, no more boy who lived nonsense. It was all my mom, thank goodness."

She smiled back and said, "So, the Minister said you were going to be living with Sirius." 

"Yes, the Headmaster was NOT happy about that, but I am now officially the ward of one Sirius Orion Black, Head of the House of Black and Regent for the House of Potter," Harry stated. "Madam Bones filed the paperwork and was going to be personally dropping a set off to the Dursleys."

"I would love to see that." The twins quietly said to Harry's amusement.

"I don't care, I am done with them," Harry answered. "Oh, Neville, it was decided that since he escaped he should be retried, after all, Barty Crouch was found guilty. He was also sent through the veil tonight." 

He saw the relieved expression on the gentle boy's face and said quietly "Once again it was an odd team of your grandmother, Sirius, Madam Bones and Lucius Malfoy's faction that voted to send him through the veil."

"My grams was there?" Neville asked.

"Yes, she was." Harry left the rest of the story for a later date, including how Augusta Longbottom had managed to gather enough votes to retry all of the Death Eater prisoners and if they were found guilty they were being sent through the veil.

The Headmaster had NOT been pleased.

"What happened to Snape?" Dean asked from where he was seated on the ground next to Lavender, Parvati, and Seamus. "Did he get charged?" 

"Yes and fined, but nothing else," Harry said with a frown. "However, Madames Bones and Longbottom managed to arrange for him to be required to sign a new teaching contract which restricts his point taking and detentions to oversight and to be overridden by an impartial judge. Madam Bones will do this for all houses except Hufflepuff, that will be under the supervision of Madam Longbottom."

"He will be miserable in class," Seamus said with a heavy sigh.

"No, he won't due to the contract they made him sign. The Headmaster tried to fight it, but the members of the Board of Governors who were at the trials at the request of Madam Bones insisted on new wording to all employment contracts for Hogwarts teachers. Let's just say that Snape is going to have to get his jollies elsewhere." Harry said with a huge grin on his face. "Though, Fred, George, he is allowed to set the punishment for certain pranking episodes, so I would be very, very good from now on in his class."

The twins winced but knew that they would just have to be careful from here on out.

"Is the real Moody going to be teaching for now on?" Hermione asked.

"No," Harry said with a smirk on his face. "It seems that Cedric Diggory complained to his father about a certain former teacher resigning and with certain new regulations in place regarding his illness, Professor Lupin will be returning to be our DADA professor."

There was a general roar of excitement regarding that news, as, after several years of bad teachers, the previous year had been the first for many with a credible teacher. 

"What about his being a werewolf?" A brash voice Harry didn't recognize asked.

"He will have a substitute on those days, an ex auror who doesn't need a full-time position but that is going to spending time here at Hogwarts anyhow."

"Who?" Harry was asked by several of his classmates.

"One, Sirius Orion Black." He answered to the sound of Hermione squealing yes and throwing her arms around Harry's waist and hugging him as tightly as she could. Eventually, he realized he needed to breathe and managed a weak moan of her name. 

She blushed and pulled back before reaching over to give him another quick but tight hug.

"Anyhow, the Headmaster wasn't too thrilled but with the board and Fudge insisting, he agreed to the plan," Harry said with a grin. "Now there should be more in the newspaper in the morning and I really, really have to get my assignment done for Snape." 

There was some mild groaning so he said "Really, the only other thing that was discussed in front of me was reparations to the other schools for the tournament being canceled. I was sent back to school with Professor Lupin and an auror escort. Sirius will be by tomorrow morning."

Harry pulled Hermione to her feet and hurried her up to the boy's fourth-year tower dorm and asked: "Where is Ron?" 

"Oh, I didn't get a chance to tell you yet," she said holding her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing. "You won't believe this but for some reason, he ended up throwing up slugs again after dinner. No one knows for sure what happened but he tried to blame Malfoy but..."

"Malfoy was with his mom at the Ministry." Harry finished. Seeing her looking his way, he said "Long story but his dad was furious about the incredible bouncing ferret and took Draco to the Ministry to file a report. I think his father is trying to get the Headmaster fired again."

Harry stayed silent about how he found himself beginning to think that maybe that might be a good idea. He was almost sure that having his godfather appointed to be at the castle was because Fudge, Bones, and Malfoy all wanted the Headmaster gone.

In his room, with his curtains closed, Harry lay back against his pillows and allowed his grin to grow as he thought about everything that had happened that day.

His godfather was freed and was now his guardian, he was no longer required to compete in this horrid tournament thanks to his godfather 'accidentally' destroying the Goblet of Fire and Professor Lupin was returning to teach at Hogwarts. 

There had been a downside, Snape was going to be furious and without an outlet for his anger which was going to make the man miserable and dangerous, his former best friend was just that, his ex-friend because Harry couldn't help feeling that Ron should have stood by him and hadn't. Then there was the Headmaster.

Harry had been hurt at the older man doubting his honesty but during the time at the Wizengamot that day, he began to realize that maybe Albus Dumbledore wasn't the mentor he had long believed him to be.

Still, those who mattered like Hermione and some of his classmates had stood by him and he was going to sit down with Ron and reevaluate their friendship. If Ron could accept that changes, Harry would remain his friend, but there were going to be major changes that his first friend would have to learn to accept. 

Hearing footsteps entering the dorm room and then the sound of Ron changing into his pajamas and heading to bed, Harry lay down and decided to get to sleep before Ron did in order to be able to ignore his snoring.

As he drifted off to sleep, he grimaced as he recalled the only secret he had kept, the one regarding Peter Pettigrew. Sirius and he were in agreement that it was up to Arthur Weasley to speak to his sons about what potentially might have happened.

Sirius was too excited to sleep and he could tell that Remus was having the same problem. Moony had gone to Hogwarts to speak to Minerva McGonagall before joining him at the Leaky Cauldron.

They were assigned adjoining rooms and had spent the last three hours just catching up on all that had happened in the last four months and putting together the partial stories that both knew about Harry and his first three years at Hogwarts.

As Remus reached out for the last chocolate biscuit, he couldn't help chuckling and saying "You're thirty-five, Moony, shouldn't you be over your sweet tooth by now."

Lifting the biscuit, Remus grinned his way then bit into the soft chocolate cookie and moaned before sticking his tongue out at the other wizard.

"If Lily saw that, she would have smacked you," Sirius said in a soft tone. "I miss them. Every single day, every single night of the last thirteen years." 

There was silence and then Remus said "I would sit in front of my fireplace after Albus would reject my request to see Harry and just get drunk. The year he went to Hogwarts, I snuck into Hogsmeade and watched as he got off the train that first time. I made sure no one saw me, but it wasn't enough. I kept returning each June and Septemeber." 

"We will be able to see him whenever we want for now on." Sirius replied with a slight grin on his face that quickly faded as he said: "What is up with Albus?" 

Shaking his head, Remus said "I have often thought that he changed after James and Lily died. I put it down to guilt for what happened to them, for what happened to the Longbottoms. Then when I was hired to teach and he tried to make me take an oath to not tell Harry about James and Lily... if it hadn't given me a chance at protecting and seeing Harry every day last year, I would have turned down the job."

"He was not happy about my appointment," Sirius replied. "He was even angrier about what they did to Snivellius." 

"You are going to have to stop calling him that, Padfoot," Remus warned him. Seeing his friend sneering, he said "If you don't, Albus will use it as an excuse to get rid of you at Hogwarts. We both know that he will be looking for a way to send Harry back to the Dursleys this summer." 

"It won't be happening, even if I have to kiss Snape's wrinkly white arse, my godson will be staying with me," Sirius replied. "What is also bothering me is what we learned about Wormtail."

Tensing up, Moony said, "Is it wrong that I was relieved that he stated under the veritiaserum that it was only the two Weasley boys he touched, considering he was also near Harry for three of those years." 

Shuddering, Sirius shook his head and admitted "Not when I am thinking the exact same thing. I promised Amelia I would go with her to speak with Arthur, she wants to keep Molly Weasley out of it for now."

The two wizards said goodnight, then Moony returned to his own room, his mind full of ideas for teaching for the remaining school year, on spending time openly with Harry and at the same time, wondering how they missed so much about Peter's predilections.

Arthur was eating breakfast when he received an owl from the Ministry. Reading it and wondering why Amelia Bones was requesting to speak with him immediately, he stood, drained his cup of tea and told his wife that breakfast would have to wait. "I have been requested to attend a morning meeting at the Ministry regarding Peter Pettigrew."

Molly read the letter over his shoulder and sniffed in annoyance at her husband skipping a meal, but she made him a biscuit sandwich to eat on the way. "It's Saturday love, surely she could have waited to speak to you on Monday."

Smiling at his wife and tipping his hat her way for the sandwich, Arthur flooed to the Ministry and found his son Percy already waiting there looking strung out. "Percy?" 

"I have to speak to the Aurors about Barty Crouch and then am being asked to stay after and they won't tell me why." His son said.

"I am sure that it is simply regarding Peter Pettigrew, Percy." He said trying to sooth his son, but it seemed to have the opposite effect as Percy muttered about how he had been hearing rumors of ministry employees mocking his lack of judgment.

Arthur walked with Percy to the lift and they were soon exiting into a very busy office area full of staff in spite of it being a Saturday morning,

"Weasley, thank you for joining us," Shacklebolt stated as he looked at Percy. "I need you to take the appointment book belonging to Barty Crouch and sit down with me. We need to go over each meeting and what was discussed." 

Percy gulped but followed the older auror while watching as his father was greeted by a grim looking Amelia Bones.

As he entered the corridor he saw a ministry employee wearing bright pink and magic suppressing handcuffs being frogmarched past them. "Sir, is that Madam Umbridge, the Undersecretary to the Minister?"

"In here," Shacklebolt announced and then called for one of the Ministry elves to bring them some light snacks. He had been asked to go easy on the boy by his boss and having heard Pettigrew's confession, understood. "Yes, former Undersecretary Umbridge was found to be complacent in some of your former bosses behavior and to try and get out of trouble, she tried to send someone from the Department of Magical Creatures after your former Professor Remus Lupin. Macnair ended up running into his immediate boss Amos Diggory whose magical signature she had faked on the order."

"Oh," Percy said as he accepted the cup of tea even as he was handed the appointment book and got to work.

Arthur was very nervous as he entered the office of Amelia Bones. She offered him some tea and said that they were waiting for a third person to join them. Ten minutes later, a frowning Sirius Black entered the office and handed a paper to Bones whose own smile faded as she read whatever it was he handed to her. "How do you want to deal with this?"

"Later, after we have found out the whole story would be best," Sirius replied. "I just wanted to be sure that someone other than myself knew in case I should just happen to forget." 

"Message received." She replied grimly as she began to rifle through the rest of the papers he had handed her. Her expression grew even more terse with each turn of the page until she seemed ready to explode. "This will be handled."

"A few things in there are very interesting." He replied before apologizing for ignoring Arthur and quickly shaking his hand. "Did you hear what happened at Hogwarts yesterday?"

"The highlights," Arthur replied. "Barty Crouch Junior was masquerading as Alastor Moody to put Harry's name in the cup, he was sent through the veil yesterday evening. Barty Crouch Senior arrested for freeing his son and sentencing to Azkaban himself for a year. Peter Pettigrew caught and arrested by yourself. That he confessed to being responsible for the deaths of the Potters and blowing up muggles."

"That is all we allowed released to the public," Amelia replied. "He confessed to much, much more. One of his confessions involved crimes against members of your family, Arthur." 

"Is this about how he hid out at our house?" he inquired.

"I only wish that was all that happened" Amelia answered. "During his confession, he admitted to crimes during his time as a death eater, it seems some of those uh, crimes committed while still, a student was what exposed him to He Who Must Not Be Named attention." 

"Arthur..." Sirius trailed off then gathering steam said: "Peter confessed to an interest in boys." 

Seeing the other wizard didn't understand, Sirius blunt stated "When Peter saw your sons by the pond, he allowed himself to be captured in his rat form for two reasons. The first was the safety but as time went on and he began to feel that he wouldn't be caught... He would use Percy's wand to change back to his natural form. It didn't happen often because Percy's wand wasn't a good match for him." 

"Ron's original wand, however, was," Amelia added. "According to Pettigrew, his new wand didn't match so he couldn't change back, He tried to find one that did match at your house but none did." 

"Thankfully, Peter wasn't a strong wizard so he could only change to his human form every two or three months," Sirius stated. "Still, it was two or three months too often." 

"Arthur, Peter confessed to taking advantage of how heavily those two boys slept to..." Sirius found it difficult to continued. "Another good thing was that with Harry rooming with Ron for a few weeks before his second year, that kept opportunities to a minimum and thanks to Ron not having a wand until just before he started school..."

Not getting it, Arthur looked between the two of them and outright asked: "What are you saying?"

"Peter Pettigrew confessed to inappropriately touching Percy at least ten times over the six years he belonged to him. Thankfully the antics of your twins who roomed right next to him made the bastard nervous."

"Inappropriately touch... oh Merlin." Arthur turned ashen as he began to understand what they were saying. "Percy?"

"Ronald as well I am afraid," Amelia replied. "Once Ron had a wand and it seemed it happened at least six times." 

"My boys..." Arthur moaned. 

"Peter confessed that he was certain that they didn't remember this happening. Arthur, it is up to you as to whether or not you tell them." Amelia told the red headed wizard. "The three of us, Mr. Potter and Kingsley Shacklebolt are the only ones who know." 

"Harry knows?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, I had need of him to watch Pettigrew's confession and there was no way of avoiding his finding out. He has agreed to abide by your decision." Amelia replied.

"I don't know. I have to think about this." Arthur replied. While he was sure that Percy would have the ability to rationally deal with this, he was almost certain that Ron didn't.

"I understand but you should be aware that we are going to request that you don't tell your wife about it while you are working out what you wish to do," Amelia stated. Seeing him frowning, she said "Arthur, Molly isn't emotionally able to quietly handle this. If she learns about it, both of your sons will do so along with many others." 

Nodding he understood, Arthur asked for permission to get back to her.

"It is your decision, Arthur. No one will pressure you either way." She replied. Once he had left, she looked over at Sirius and said "I am torn between feeling bad for the man and anger over this..."

Flipping open the folder, she said: "The Goblins had these?" 

"The Goblins who I visited this morning had part of them, the muggle lawyer I had who dealt with the Dursleys had what they signed and you won't believe this one but the rest were on file here at the Ministry."

"I assume you invalidated them?" She asked scowling at the paperwork.

"Immediately. I am going to await Arthur's decision and then deal with this. What really burns me is that they and HE both know wizarding law was being violated and none of them seem to feel any guilt in regards to it."

"I want to be there even if it is disillusioned. How he and they react will determine what happens next."

"They didn't violate any laws, not really Amelia. At least they could spin it that way." He pointed out.

Standing, he was about to leave when she called out his name. Turning, he heard her question and chuckled. "I spent most of the summer on the run, if Harry hadn't had a nightmare, I would probably be in Belize right now. I got back here and the minute I heard about the return of the TriWizard tournament, I knew something was up. I just felt a sense of unease and began to make plans."

"A month? You planned all of this in a month?" she asked doubtfully, fingering the file and her mind going to the set up to take down Pettigrew and how he had done it so publicly.

"A lot of it was sheer luck." He replied.

"The new look?" She asked.

Looking at her and grinning, Sirius said: "A good muggle barber during my trip, time spent in a magical medical facility in the states for two weeks and it turns out muggle tailors might not be as fast as ours but they are handy enough." 

As Sirius left her office wearing a muggle styled suit coat and muggle denim along with the oddest pair of shoes she had even seen, she called out "Might I suggest a trip to Madam Malkins now that you are a free man."

"I already made that visit, yesterday evening. I am also bringing these with me to Hogwarts, I feel it might annoy a certain Headmaster and know that it will a certain Potion's master." 


	13. Book of Awesome

A/N: This is the second story from my thumb drive. The title came from a book I was reading at the time called The Book of Awesome. Basically, it is one of two stories were Sirius comes back through the veil, but into the past. I am literally posting them as I run into them.

* * *

Title: Book of AWESOME

Chapter One

The trip back through the veil

Sirius could still hear Harry shouting his name in horror as he fell back, back and even further back through the veil. His eyes moved from his terrified godson to the last Marauder, the anguish he could see in Moony's eyes was horrible.

The duo began to fade and Sirius could still feel himself falling back and then with a sharp crack of his head landing on something hard, the feeling of falling ended. Lifting his hand to rub the back of his now aching head, Sirius tried to wrap his mind around what was happening.

How he had let his godson down yet again, how he had fulfilled the fate that many at Grimmauld believed was awaiting him. How he had in effect abandoned Moony without a pack yet again.

As he lay there, his hand still rubbing the aching spot on his head, he heard the distant sound of voices. Curious as to what they were saying and wondering where he was, he looked around at the dark boxy room and saw nothing... literally nothing.

Still hearing voices, he stood and moved towards where they seemed to be coming from. The voices got louder as he got closer, his eyes narrowing as he recognized them.

"Yaxley, when are you meeting him?" He heard the raspy sounding voice asking.

"Tomorrow, Malfoy passed on that I am wanted for an audience. Why?" The auror inquired. Sirius knew the auror was a death eater but why was he able to hear him? Sirius had fallen through the veil of Death, at least that was what he had believed happened, so how could he be hearing voices of people he knew were alive and how come he was hearing those voices and not the voices of Remus or Harry?

"Be careful. Crouch is getting nosy. I saw him gripping Black by the arm yesterday and overheard him telling Scrimgeour that he suspected him of joining the cause."

There was a sharp laugh then Yaxley replied. "Ole Crouch hasn't even seen that his own son joined last month, I am not scared of him."

The sound of footsteps fading had Sirius trying to figure out what the hell he had overheard and who the second man was when he realized that the other wizard was heading his way.

Ducking into a corner, not sure what was going on but not wanting to confront anyone just yet, his eyes went wide at the sight of Rookwood, Augustus Rookwood former member of the Department of Mysteries heading his way.

When he heard someone calling out to the Unspeakable, he winced as the other person talking. When he realized that he was hearing the sound of a dead man's voice, he tilted his head, trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle when a rather large one fell into his lap.

"Bagnold wants a meeting, Rookwood. I will be in her office. I saw Dumbledore joining her so be on the lookout for him to visit us." Sirius recognized that voice as belonging to the Unspeakable identified as Croaker.

When the two wizards parted, Sirius followed at a distance staying behind the closed door after they had exited the room. Now standing by himself in the darkness, Sirius wasn't sure what to do but knew that he couldn't remain where he was, not as a wanted man. Trying for discretion, he debated changing into Padfoot but ultimately decided to stay as a human, knowing that a dog in the Department of Mysteries was even stranger than a human.

Once he had exited the darkened square room, he was now in the circular room with many doors. Locating the exit, he stayed close to the walls and moved straight towards the lifts.

Once inside, hoping to arrive at the lobby, he was changing his hair color, his robes and eye color in a desperate bid to escape unknown. Soon in the secure area, he was about to leave through the floo when he heard a voice shouting "Padfoot, what on earth are you wearing?"

Stunned, feeling sick to his stomach, Sirius dropped his wand into his hand and turned slowly with the intent of trying to fight his way to freedom only to meet the eyes of the last person he expected. A person who was standing there leaning against the security desk while pointing and laughing at him while holding onto a small toddler.

"James?" He said in disbelief as he looked at the man wearing a freshly pressed auror uniform robe and carrying a little boy whose bright emerald green eyes and black messy hair shouted out who he was. "H-Harry?"

Moving directly towards the duo, now convinced this was some sort of dream, he was reaching to hold his godson in his arms, needing to hug him, to pretend even for a few seconds that Harry hadn't watched him die.

"No, you are not getting to hold my son until you explain that strange get up, Padfoot," James said moving Harry to his other side as if playing a game of keep away. "Come on, tell me, did you lose a bet with Moony or Wormtail?"

Growling at the name Wormtail, Sirius deftly relieved James of Harry and tightly hugged the little boy who just reached up and grasped at his hair. Closing his eyes and inhaling the scent that was uniquely Harry even fourteen years later, Sirius didn't care if it was a dream, this, this was perfect.

"James, what is up with Sirius?" Hearing the sound of Lily Potter's voice had Sirius opening his eyes and taking in the vision of the pretty redhead smiling at him even as she tilted her head to look at him.

"What is up with you two?" Sirius asked. "What is wrong with how I am dressed?"

"Where do I start? What do you think Harry, is your godfather losing his mojo?" Lily asked as she tried to reach for her son, frowning when Sirius refused to hand him over then with very apparent reluctance did so. "Sirius, are you okay? Seriously?"

"There you are, Mr. Potter." Turning at the sound of the voice of their former Headmaster, the trio took in the rather vibrant robes that Albus Dumbledore was wearing and who was with him.

When no one seemed to be arresting him and other than a few strange looks cast his way, Sirius frowned when former Minister Bagnold and the Headmaster drew James off a bit and spoke to him after asking where his partner Frank was.

Badnold's second in command, her Undersecretary winked at Sirius who merely moved closer to Lily who told him. "The Headmaster asked James to come to a meeting this morning but we were already on our way to the records office when the owl arrived."

"Wonder what that is about?" Sirius asked and when he was waved over to where the three were speaking, he kept his face emotionless as the Minister announced that she was appointing Barty Crouch Senior as the new Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

What the hell?! Sirius thought to himself. He had not been in the ministry the day that Crouch had been appointed but he had remembered that James HAD been along with Lily. It had been the day that they had filed the paperwork regarding their wills.

A whole two weeks before they had gone into hiding from Voldemort. A whole three weeks before they had died as the result of Peter betraying their location to his true master.

Sirius wasn't sure what was going on, but he was determined to find out. After muttering the appropriate comments, he struggled to remember exactly where he had been at this moment and after promising to speak to James and Lily later that evening, he pressed a kiss to the top of Harry's head, then quickly exited the ministry through the floo.

Arriving at the Leaky Cauldron, knowing his younger self-had been meeting the pretty blond receptionist from St. Mungos there for lunch, he loped up the steps to the private room he used for such things.

Sure enough, the pretty blond was waiting, but no doppelganger for himself. Avoiding being seen, he exited the pub through the entrance into the muggle world, his eyes scanning the sidewalks for himself. Returning to the pub, he heard his name being called and winced when he saw Amelia Bones glaring at him.

"What?"

"If you seriously think you are going to blend in dressed like that, you are an idiot." The senior auror announced as she rolled her eyes. "Find a private spot and transfigure into something a little more muggle, then meet me on the other side."

Sirius was a bit taken aback by the directive until he recalled that the day in question, she and he had been assigned protection duty in the muggle world and that they had been recalled to the Ministry to be told about Crouch.

In a corner, he turned his hair back to its natural black color and sheered off its extra length and curls before changing his eyes back to their natural blue color. His clothes were transfigured into muggle blue jeans and a jumper before walking back to where she was now talking to the last person he wished to see.

When the pretty receptionist whose name he now recalled was Veronica leaned in to whisper that he might be great in bed, but that he was a lousy boyfriend, he replied without thinking. "I am not your boyfriend."

Getting a sharp glare from both Veronica and a now in the know Amelia, he added. "You said you understood when I said I didn't want any commitments."

Veronica muttered a few insults against his ancestors and then took the floo back to work while Amelia chuckled a bit. "Sirius, are you really that thick that you didn't realize she was looking to be Mrs. Sirius Black?"

"Hey, I never made any promises and was very clear that there will never be a wife in my future, past, or now." He replied. They were just about to go through to London when the owl arrived. Telling Amelia what was going on, he followed her back to the Ministry and stood quietly in the corner next to James while Bagnold and Dumbledore announced the new department head.

Sirius leaned over and asked. "Where are Lily and Harry?"

"Lily took Harry to visit Alice and Neville," James replied while nodding his head towards Frank Longbottom who was speaking to Amelia and her brother Edgar. "What do you think of this?"

"Crouch?" Sirius asked then with a slight frown said "I am not sure. It might work."

Sirius saw James turning to look at him clearly surprised by his statement considering he had never liked Crouch, but the animagus was thinking not of the past, but of how he could use the truth about the new department head's son to fix the future. He had not paid attention to a single word Crouch had said in his speech, instead, he had been debating about why he was where he was and if this was all real. He didn't know, but he was going to act on the situation as if he had really come back to his past and had taken over his own life.

If it was real, well then he had the advantage and he intended to make the most of it. First up, disconnecting the Marauders from Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix and removing as many of the Death Eaters as he could in the next few weeks.

Leaning in, he told James. "Crouch is a right up bastard, but the one thing we can count on, he isn't a death eater or a supporter of a certain snake. I have something I need to tell you later on. Just the two of us."

James frowned but agreed to meet with him after they had had dinner with Lily and Harry. The two arrived at the cottage Lily and he had purchased near London and found Remus and Peter inside already helping Lily prepare dinner. Well, Peter was puttering about in the kitchen following directions while Remus entertained Harry with conjured bubble birds and butterflies.

Once the group was seated at the table, Harry in his muggle style high chair, Sirius looked around at a grouping that had often sat at this table. This time, he took a real look at them, his mind shaded by the future and noticed that Remus avoided touching Harry as if he was scared he would contaminate the toddler with his lycaphany and how Peter seemed almost jealous of the attention that James was giving his son.

Sirius found it difficult not to just reach out and tear the shirt sleeve of the left arm of the traitor, but he knew he needed to wait, needed to stay calm, at least for now.

Hearing Lily saying his name, he listened in as she told the others about the strange outfit he had been wearing that afternoon.

Grimacing and holding up his hands in a placating manner, he claimed that it had been done to get a rise out of Amelia Bones and nothing more, quite certain that the quintet would have him committed in St. Mungos if he were to tell them he had altered his looks to try to escape being thrown back into Azkaban for a crime he wouldn't be committing.

By the end of the dinner, he was eager to speak to James and thankfully Peter readily excused himself, telling them that he had to go check on his mother. Sirius was sure that it wasn't the truth but watched him go, his hooded eyes noticing how Peter avoided saying goodbye to not only Harry but Lily herself.

Remus, on the other hand, was speaking quietly to Lily and handing over a book that looked as if it had been set on fire by a dragon. James was lifting Harry and talking about giving him a bath so Sirius offered to do the dishes which stopped all in their tracks.

Lily outright laughed at his offer and James and Remus began to tease him asking him when he had had the time to learn household charms considering he avoided them. Shrugging, he pulled out his wand, using the correct motion, said "Appono. Ablui. Condidi."

All three were now staring at him with narrowed eyes as the dishes went to the sink, washed themselves and returned to the cupboard, so smirking at them, he absconded with his godson, smirking at James and said "I am going to give Harry his bath and put him to bed, after all, I am his godfather."

"Uh, Padfoot, I don't know if that is such a good idea." James was saying in a cautious tone while Lily seemed to be encouraging his antics as she called out that Harry preferred the lavender bubbles at bedtime and that she would bring him his bedclothes.

An hour later, the Potter house was silent as James closed the door after Remus exited. Wondering what had happened to his wife and son, not to mention his very strange acting best friend, he climbed the stairs and stopped at the top first bemused by the sight of his sleeping wife with their son snuggled close to her chest on the daybed then shocked at what he saw standing in the shadows.

Sirius was standing nearby, tears on his cheeks while his fist was in his mouth as he was attempting to silence his sobs. "Sirius?"

The man who was as close as a brother to him turned and struggled to regain control of his emotions.

"Sirius, what is it?" He inquired when he saw that the other wizard's emotions seemed to grow even more chaotic. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

The other wizard shook his head no then gestured down the stairs. Leading the way, Sirius took them outside and moved to a nearby copse of trees then looking up at the waning moon through the leaves, said: "I need to give you a Marauders Oath."

"Sirius."

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Sirius said in a monotone then lifting his wand added "On my magic, what I Sirius Black am about to tell you is the truth as best I know of it. That this is no prank, no game and I swear I will uphold it as the truth to my dying day."

When he was no longer lit up with blue lights that had surrounded him at his vow, Sirius said "I died less than fourteen years into the future by falling into the Veil in the Department of Mysteries while dueling with my cousin Bellatrix after Malfoy and she tricked your orphaned son Harry into coming there to retrieve a prophecy about his defeating He Who Must Not Be Named."

James was about speak when Sirius said "Lumos."

When the tip of his wand lit up, Sirius looked over at James and said "Albus is going to come to Lily and you and tell you that he is sure the prophecy is about Harry and you are going to go into hiding. We will set up the Fidelias charm using Peter as secret keeper and he is going to betray your location to the man himself."

Sirius once again lit up his wand then growling added "It took everything for me to sit there next to that rat bastard and not kill him as we ate dinner. The only reason I didn't is that I have a plan."

It was clear that James wished to deny what he was telling him, so Sirius continued and said: "You haven't told Lily yet, but you went to speak to the Goblins regarding your parent's estate today."

James gulped and seemed to settle down as Sirius said. "Albus talked you into not taking your seat in spite of Lily thinking it might be helpful if you did. You intend to tell her tonight before you go to bed. The old man has also told you that Voldemort believes the prophecy and that it would be best for you to go into hiding."

James frowned at Sirius then said, "You need to be careful in saying his name."

Sirius nodded then said, "James, I am telling the truth."

The other wizard leaned his head back, then staring at the light coming in through an upper window in the cottage said "When did we die? I am assuming both Lily and I are dead in this world you came from?"

"Less than a month from now, Lily and you are dead, I am in Azkaban without a trial for betraying you and for killing Peter. Harry, Harry is living with the Dursleys who will neglect and abuse him by treating him as little better than a house elf owned by my mother." Sirius saw James turn a sickly shade of green at that news and boldly continued.

"James, Voldemort comes back. I am fine with saying his name because I know how he does what he does to track it." He replied. "He keeps coming after Harry again and again, but I think I know how to prevent that but you aren't going to like it."

James looked at the brightly lit window then at Sirius. "Tell me."

An hour later, Sirius trailed off as he said: "From there, I don't know where we go."

"The Headmaster isn't going to like this," James said stating the obvious.

"Albus Dumbledore can go sit on his thumb and spin." Sirius spat out. Seeing James flinch, he asked. "Do you realize that he set your son up every single year? That he put Harry into situations where he had to confront a man who has killed and maimed and tortured people."

"I just want to prevent a return to Azkaban, for you and that being my new address." James quietly replied.

"Take your seat," Sirius replied. Seeing James frown, he asked "What? Why would you still even think of listening to the old man?"

"It's not that," James replied. "I agree and think your plan is viable, but I am only one person."

"Talk to Frank, he needs to take his seat," Sirius said. "It has to be us stepping up."

"Us?" James asked.

Sirius signed then told him the news he had kept quiet. "I haven't gone public because if Bellatrix hears about it, but my uncle died last week. My father could disinherit me from the immediate family but only Arcturus my grandfather could disown me from inheriting the estate. He sent me a letter, he is a pureblood bigot, but and it is a big BUT, he is more about securing the Black family line through the male side than a zealot. I am going to contact him tomorrow."

"You hate him." James pointed out. "Plus there is your mother."

"I am going to give him an ultimatum," Sirius stated. "I know enough about the future to know that it will work."

"Just be careful," James warned as he stood. "You should stay here tonight."

With a careless grin, Sirius said. "I can't, I have a midnight date with a healer from Hogsmeade, well if I remember correctly."

James slapped him on the back and went inside to his family, where the words spoken by Sirius echoed through his brain. Waking up his wife, he waited until they had tucked Harry into bed and then told her. "The Headmaster asked me not to take my seat like you thought he would. I agreed but now have changed my mind..."

While he didn't tell her the whole story, having agreed with Sirius to wait until they were more secure, he did tell her the argument that Sirius had given him for making changes. It was clear that Lily agreed with them without even knowing that they had died.

Later, after Lily had fallen asleep, James pressed a kiss to the top of her head and thought about what Sirius had told him about Remus and their mutual friend's future. As he drifted off to sleep, James vowed that he would do the best he could for all but that his main goal was to live and raise his family.

Sirius went on his date so as to not change too much of his future, but it was clear to both the young woman and himself that his heart wasn't into it and that his mind clearly was elsewhere. When a very disappointed Cecily Gowans returned to the hospital, she was doing her round and ended up saying yes to a date with the handsome healer Rogard Vane which prevented young mediwitch Sandra from potioning him into a date.

Cecily Gowans Vane would end up having a daughter that spring and she wouldn't end up naming her Romilda. Romilda wouldn't end up being born and ending up a Gryffindor and this would end up altering the future...

* * *

Chapter Two

James and Sirius would discreetly work with Frank Longbottom and the Bones siblings over the next two weeks. This would expose over two dozen death eaters who had no idea who or how they had ended up being caught. All were death eaters who would escape prison time in the original time loop, minus one Lucius Malfoy. Sirius had a different plan for that pompous jackass.

Thanks to anonymously blackmailing Barty Crouch Senior with the truth about Barty Crouch Junior's supposedly secret death that very week, they had an ally who was very agreeable to the sensible suggestion of using veritiaserum on all arrested and suspected death eaters.

Such a shame that Barty Junior had tried to escape from Azkaban and had been kissed by a dementor. When a few other prisoners met the same fate, Sirius grimaced knowing that it was Barty Senior arranging such a fate but if it was a matter of keeping a self-confessed murdering bastard like Augustus Rookwood alive or his godson, Sirius would stand and cheerful watch their souls get sucked out.

When their master began to fight back, Sirius used his own secret weapon, the knowledge of Peter's traitorous actions to feed him bad intelligence. The entire order, including the Headmaster, believed that there was a spy, someone who was betraying Voldemort sending secret messages via owls to the ministry.

According to rumors, Voldemort himself was pruning down his ranks as he killed his own people, at least those he suspected of being a spy. His cousin's late husband, Rodolphus was only the latest death eater body to be found in a public place.

Sirius was relieved when Frank and James had taken down the Carrows Alecto and Amycus, Amelia and himself had had the pleasure of removing Antonin Dolohov, but in that case, the foreign-born wizard had died via an 'accidental' cliff collapse.

Soon, all that was left of the Death Eater inner circle were Malfoy, Bellatrix, her brother in law Rabastan, and a certain werewolf. Fenrir Greyback was being kept close by his master. Oh, and a half-blood potion's maker who found himself trembling as he answered the call of his master.

In the end, in spite of being crucioed, that meeting saved Severus Snape's life because the Lestrange home where he had been before the call exploded in a large hail of exploding mortar and deadly fire.

* * *

In London, an older wizard was telling his house elf to return to his duties as he felt a cold smile come across his face. His grandson had had certain requirements in order to take up the mantle of head of the Black family and while Arcturus was loath to agree with him on anything, the fact was that Sirius had vowed to not follow Dumbledore, but to follow no ones path but his own so that was at least acceptable to the current Head of the Black family.

So, Arcturus was pruning the family tree in a rather judicious fashion. Up next, he called for his niece to attend to him. By dinner time, Walburga had ingested the poison and wouldn't survive to eat breakfast. Looking at his list, he was a bit surprised that Sirius wished to have the rather smarmy husband of his cousin Narcissa around, but he ceded to his wishes and sent for his attorney.

A very paranoid Tom Riddle was pacing back and forth in his throne room, looking out at his followers, all that he had left were gathered and now kneeling in front of him as he tried to figure out what was going on and who was removing his followers, as it wasn't Dumbledore. The Headmaster wouldn't agree to kill them like had been done.

Looking around, he saw the platinum hair of one of his more wealthy followers and stopping in front of him said: "Lucius, arise and await me in the dining room."

Moving through the rest, he sighed then ordered the potioneer to join Malfoy and then having no other real choice except for the werewolf ordered Gottfried Flint to join them.

Seeing a nearby rat scurrying about, he could sense its very human fear and using his wand floated it into the next room in front of him. Placing it in a nearby cage, he looked at the others and asked. "What have you found out?"

"Crouch, it's Crouch that is behind all of this," Snape replied. Seeing his master looking his way he said: "The Headmaster is trying to get him out, master."

"Yes, as much as I don't wish to deal with Crouch, I am positive that HE doesn't either." The Dark Lord mused. Looking at Malfoy he asked. "Your wife's uncle?"

"He has locked himself behind the family wards and is refusing to come out. My wife has reason to believe that he fears assassination." Malfoy stated. "Clearly it isn't him, my lord."

"Who then?" Voldemort went through the list yet again and tossed out. "What about the cousin? Sirius?"

Snape sneered and said "He has barely an organized thought in his mind. No, he isn't behind this. He nor the rest of the sheep would dare go against the Headmaster's way."

"Your blindness will be your downfall," Riddle replied. "Still, my other spy says the same that, while he isn't as dumb as you wish him to be, he won't cross Dumbledore."

Snape hid his need to snort in disagreement but it was clear that his master knew what he was thinking because he was soon twitching on the ground as a result of being hexed.

"Malfoy, go speak to your contact at the Ministry." The dark lord ordered then releasing the spell on Snape ordered him to return to the castle. "Find out if the Headmaster is still in the belief that the prophecy carries any weight."

When they had both left, he ordered Greyback to locate a seer that he knew resided in Ireland. "Bring her back by the end of the day."

Turning to Flint, he sent the wizard to pay a visit to the Lestrange home and to bring back a certain box that he was sure was in the rubble someplace. When the room cleared out, he opened the door on the cage and awaited his sniveling servant.

Once the rat was a man again, he asked. "What does the Headmaster really think?"

"He is growing concerned, he believes that there is a group of vigilantes taking out the death eaters. I know he originally suspected Black and Potter but something changed his mind." Peter replied. "He found out the secret they were keeping is that Potter is not going into hiding as the Headmaster wishes them to."

The dark lord chuckled, knowing that this would not please his enemy who had kept much hidden the last few years from his young recruits.

Peter went silent and the dark lord snapped "Is that all that was discussed?"

Quickly shaking his head no, Peter replied. "No, but that is all that pertains..."

Tossing a quick crucio his way, the Dark Lord ended the spell and sneered. "I wish to know all, it is not your decision what is told and what isn't."

Peter stuttered but continued to speak. "He is also determined to gain the trust of the werewolves and the giants. The Headmaster is upset that the Potters and the Longbottoms won't follow some plan to hide them. I heard James telling Frank that the sphere whatever that was, didn't arrive the usual way and that it might not be true. "

The Dark Lord froze for a brief second then asked: "What else were they saying?"

"J-just that they are thinking about resigning from the Order. They don't agree with the Headmaster on something and that Sirius Black is looking into his brother's death because the Headmaster says that he came to Hogwarts looking for him before he died. The Headmaster had a note but that it was lost..."

This confirmed his thoughts so Voldemort sent the sniveling weasel back to London before rejoining his minions. Sending them on attacks to cover for what his inner circle such as it was was doing, he was furious when by dawn the next morning, he had less than fifty followers left and that he had lost Greyback.

Holding up the Daily Prophet as he read the article detailing how the Irish seer had had a vision of her own death and how she would take a dark creature aligned with the dark lord with her, Riddle crushed the paper after reading the last paragraph.

Moodily looking at Flint who had arrived and after bowing being to stutter as he told his lord. "M-master, I found nothing."

"What do you mean, you found nothing?"

"T-the Ministry burnt down the property, my lord."

"Show me." Voldemort saw the out of control fire and saw the dark shadow screaming in pain and then disappearing. Angry beyond belief, he killed the wizard in front of him.

When Malfoy arrived, he felt his knees trembling as he bowed next to a dead body. "Master, I have news."

After several minutes of silence, the dark lord demanded. "Well?"

"Arcturus Black is dead," Malfoy replied. "The estate went on lockdown until its rightful heir has claimed the head of house ring."

"Who would that be?" the silky voice demanded.

"My son is the only possible heir. Sirius Black was disinherited by his family, Regulus is missing presumed dead, Bellatrix was without issue, the next sister married a mudblood and was also disowned. That leaves only my son as direct heir to the Black family fortune." His voice was modulated but inwardly Lucius Malfoy was already counting the influence and funds that would be under his control.

"Leave me."

When the blond had left, the dark lord allowed a small smile to come to his face. All of his anchors were safe then. He had been concerned that with the death of his familiar at the Lestrange residence but it was rather clear that none of his followers had a clue.

Still, something about this Black family fortune gave him doubts, for now, however, he would just put a bit of pressure on the Goblins, those filthy creatures would know the truth of who was the heir to who...

If only he knew...

* * *

Chapter Three

Sirius made damn sure that Peter overheard James and himself talking. He had heard of the return of Remus but their friend had not paid either of them a visit. It was rather clear that the Headmaster was still pulling strings there and that for that to end, they would have to end the war itself.

They were already on the right path, most of the hierarchy of the death eaters were dead. Either at Crouch or Arcturus' directive. All that was left were those that he wished to deal with himself.

Snape. Whose payment would be for what he had done to Harry.

Malfoy. Well, he was going to learn that he wasn't top dog and be forced to stew in his own anger before Sirius dealt with him directly.

Pettigrew...

He had had to restrain both James and himself and they had gone out of their way to keep the wizard away from Lily and Harry. Now, it was almost time to expose the traitorous rat. Only one more bastard before they dealt with him.

Riddle himself.

Sure enough, the rat ran straight back to his master after the Phoenix meeting. They had bugged him using a sort of muggle technology that he had once heard Hermione Granger speaking about.

Listening as the rat told his master what he had learned, Sirius struggled not to shout yes when the rat spoke. "Master, I overheard the Headmaster speaking to him. He was suggesting he go into hiding under a charm they found that keeps his location secret from all but who the secret keeper tells."

Nodding as he knew the charm, Riddle asked. "When does Black go into hiding?"

"Not until after the next full moon," Peter said. "That is to be on Monday."

"Good, good, now return to your friends, Pettigrew." When the rat had left, Voldemort debated his options and decided that he needed to know what Black had overheard when the prophecy had been broken. How Black had been in a position to eavesdrop also had him curious as it didn't fit the description that others had of the young wizard.

Still, it was clear that a prophecy was in play and that the Headmaster was no longer thinking it was the one told by the witch named Trelawney who was more than likely a fraud according to Snape who had met her in the castle.

He had looked at Snape's memory of the meeting between Trelawney and Dumbledore at the Hogs Mead and then at Snape's introduction to the woman now teaching at Hogwarts and he himself was convinced that it was sheer nonsense.

This other seer, however, seemed to be the real deal. With her death, however, that only left the wizard who had overheard the prophecy and according to a rumor that was Sirius Black.

Making plans to deal with the man himself, Riddle questioned Snape about his old schoolboy enemies, wishing to use his hatred to hide how he was truly looking at Black by making most of the questions be about the werewolf.

When the half-blood had left, a check into his books and Tom Riddle was on his way to the small cottage known as the Shrieking Shack. According to Peter, that was where Black would be meeting up with Lupin and Potter.

With the intention of laying in wait for his prey, Riddle grimaced as he arrived at the shabby looking building. According to Pettigrew, it was Black's turn to lay in the supplies for their small get together.

Entering the upstairs, he never noticed the wards going up, nor felt the fire until it was too late. Watching the wizard standing a safe distance away, Thomas Marvolo Riddle aka Lord Voldemort aka He Who Must Not Be Named was barbecued.

To the wizard outside patience was not a virtue, but he waited, then waited until he saw what he was expecting. The old man left and within minutes he saw the buzzing mass his godson had discussed seeing after saving the stone and killing the basilisk. Capturing the black swarming mass into an unbreakable container, he returned to his small apartment and then set the container down. "What do I do with you now?"

Taking the floo to Gringotts, Sirius Black went to his trust vault and placed the container containing the soul of one Tom Riddle inside. Looking at his list, he smiled. "James, Lily and Harry still alive on November 1st, check."

"Not in Azkaban, check." He had had a bit of twisting to do in order to get permission to set fire to the Shrieking Shack, but due to some maneuvering, they had even got the Headmaster to go along with it. Of course, the old man had had no idea that Voldemort was going to be trapped inside the burning building...

He had made damn sure that there were no traces of the former dark wizard, and was sure that Albus himself couldn't find proof of what he had done. He might suspect but there would be no actual proof.

"Death Eaters, the most dangerous ones dealt with, check." He said mentally already planning on dealing with Peter the very next day himself.

Going home, he dearly wished he could go to the Potter house but James and he had decided that it would be safest if he came over only as much as he had before his return from the future, so until the end of the month, it was only three visits a week.

* * *

In London, Amelia Bones who was currently interrogating a death eater watched as the wizard screamed and tightly grasped his left arm. When she ripped the cloth off his arm, she saw the dark mark was burning a very nasty shade of bright red and that the man was practically insensate.

Calling for help, she saw a young recruit, Kingsley Shacklebolt entering and told him to get medical help. The dark wizard passed out from the pain and the mark on his arm was bleeding.

An auror who was guarding prisoners cells came rushing into the hallway shouting that they needed help in the cells and that a few of the death eaters had died.

Exiting the office, she looked at the auror who asked: "What is going on?"

"I don't know, but I will find out." She replied not sure what to tell anyone.

In a very large manor home in Wiltshire, a wizard was whispering urgently to his wife as he struggled to stay conscious. His arm felt as if it was on fire and he could feel a pull on his magic. The need to throw up and pass out began to fade but the mark on his arm glowed brightly even through the thick linen material of his sleeve.

A rat was hiding at home, thanks to his form he was currently unaware of the pain his fellow compatriots were feeling but he did notice that his arm/paw looked as if it was bleeding. Still, he felt safe so he curled up still in his rat form nibbling on a large slice of cheddar cheese.

At Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore was in the infirmary with his spy and the mediwitch as they struggled to help the wizard deal with the pain and utter agony he was feeling.

Albus Dumbledore had just returned to the castle after supervising an auror burning down the Shrieking Shack. He had been against such action but the Ministry had wanted it removed and were going to foot the bill to build a new building in that location.

Sirius Black, the auror sent had protested and protested such an action due to his time spent there with his good friend Remus Lupin, but had been prevailed upon to do his job.

Albus had watched as the fire had started then had been called back to the castle by Pomfrey due to some sort of attack by the Dark Lord on his follower Severus Snape through his dark mark.

Now that Severus was calmer, even if the mark all but glowed in the dark, Albus returned to the edge of the property only to see that the fire was out and that the Black boy had left.

In London, Croaker was entering the office of the Minister. "The sphere I was watching turned black an hour ago."

"The one concerning He Who Must Not Be Named?" She inquired.

"Yes, there were four different spheres regarding him and they have all turned black. He is gone." Croaker announced, leaving as quickly as he came. As he heard about the fits of the dark wizard's followers, he sent a memo to Barty Crouch who thought it was a smashingly good idea.

Bagnold called for the Headmaster via a portrait in the office and within minutes gave the man the good news. Seeing how he hadn't reacted, she said "Did you hear me. All four of the spheres have turned black. He is gone."

"I am not so sure," Dumbledore said. He knew that others doubted the prophecy given by Sybil Trelawney but he found he believed it more than the others. Still, he wished to see the blackened spheres for himself.

Arriving in the Department of Mysteries with Bagnold herself, they were shown the now black spheres and a disappointed Dumbledore saw that the one he had turned in was one of the four.

"When did they turn black?" He asked. "Was it all at once or in a specific order?"

"The one you brought to us was first to go, followed by the Irish seer's orb. The last two were orbs that we weren't positive were about Riddle, there was more than one option but with how they went dark we believe them to be about him."

"What was in them?"

"A prophecy that was given in the fifties of a wizard born to live a life of strife and raised in pain to use the greater good to take down a dark lord. Mr. Black's childhood makes him a good fit and his birth happened not long after that."

"Mr. Black?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, our scrolls mention him as the defeater of the dark lord, the only cravat was that when he was contacted this evening, he said he wasn't defeating a dark lord this evening, but working on a mission for the Ministry at Hogwarts." Croaker knew damn well exactly what had gone on in that shack and was bound by his oath to keep the secret.

He also knew that somehow what the Black heir had done hadn't only taken down the dark lord of the Irish prophecy but had ended the prophecy of the meddler of a fake seer at Hogwarts.

The last two spheres weren't in regards to Riddle but to the man standing in front of him. There was a fifth orb and Croaker knew that Sirius Orion Black was the leading candidate for it to be fulfilled.

"I thought that the orb from the Irish Seer had broken," Bagnold stated with a slight frown on her lips.

"No, a copy that had been made had been broken but there was a prophecy that misleading others about that would end a time of darkness, so we did what was needed to do."

"You should have told me," Dumbledore said with a slight frown on his face at this oversight. "As Chief Warlock, I should have been told."

"You of all wizards know that we don't answer to the Wizengamot, the Minister or the Ministry. This is to keep our research independent." Croaker replied. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to do a clean up in my department. We had to release one more of my staff for being a follower of this man Riddle."

"Whose Riddle?" Bagnold asked with a slight frown on her face.

"Albus, you didn't tell Minister Bagnold that Tom Riddle was the true name of He Who Must Not Be Named?" Croaker asked. Shaking his head, he looked at the Minister and said "I was under the impression you were aware of this. Yes, the dark wizard was born Tom Riddle, he attended Hogwarts while the Headmaster was still the transfiguration professor.

Across London, the next morning, the news spread that the man commonly known as He Who Must Not Be Named aka Lord Voldemort was dead. That how he died was still unknown had a few of his followers believed he would rise again, but most of the magical world began to celebrate.

Severus Snape breathed a sigh of relief when he heard from the Headmaster that Lily was fine, even as he tried to figure out a way to get her to leave that bastard she married now that he was going to be a respectable professor, maybe she would realize just how perfect they were together...

Lucius Malfoy was worried about being exposed, so he quickly packed his family up and went to stay at their Chateau in France. Once there he began to look for a way to cover up his dark mark, convinced that his late master was now gone.

With a slight grin as he looked over the vast land attached to this particular estate, he couldn't help counting his chickens before they hatched as he imagined returning to England once he had found a way to cover his mark so that he could claim the Black estate and it's wealth and power for his young son.

He breathed a sigh of relief, his father had died the previous year, his master was dead, from now on he would bring the wizarding world around to agreeing with his beliefs using power and spreading the wealth around, knowing that there would be no one with as much power and wealth in the magical world.

For Peter Pettigrew, he panicked when he read the headlines in the morning newspaper. All his hopes and dreams of ruling by his master's side had crashed in a heartbeat.

Needing more information, he was considering how to get what he needed. He kept coming up with ideas and eliminating them until an owl arrived in his window. Taking the note, reading what it said, he wished he dare turn it down but instead accepted the invite to the Ministry to have a celebratory lunch with his 'good friends'.

Arriving a bit early, he hurried past the security gate, noticing all the extra aurors working. In the large room that contained the desks of James and Sirius, he greeted his friends who said: "We just have a quick visit from Crouch to put up with then we are out of here."

Remus arrived minutes later and after some back slapping had told them that he had received a job offer that morning and he was going to take it. Peter hid how furious he was, a werewolf could find a job, yet, he who was the pureblooded son of former department head couldn't even get an interview for a real job, He had been working as a runner for a store in Diagon Alley since graduation.

When Crouch arrived followed by his specially chosen personal guard Adolphus Yaxley, the officious little man verified that the Unspeakables had had some sort of confirmation that Tom Riddle aka Lord Voldemort was dead and that most of his followers had been rounded up.

"Just to be sure, we are going to be doing inspections over the next few weeks," Crouch announced with a glare at Sirius Black who thanks to his family had long been on his suspect list. "We now have a way of locating those who took his mark."

Sirius winked at James who knew that Sirius had been hoping for this to happen, even if this was more public than they had planned. Sirius looked at the officious little man and taunted him. "Hey Crouch, why don't you just ask me to show you my arm?"

The taunt had the little man turning a vibrant shade of puce as he moved to stand right in front of Sirius. "I know your family, Black. You may have fooled others but you don't fool me. I know that you..."

Sirius tore his left arm sleeve and shoved it into the face of the man standing in front of him. "See, no mark. Now consider this my resignation."

With that, he tossed the ripped sleeve at the man. When Crouch looked at Remus, the werewolf whose self-confidence under normal circumstances would have been nonexistent thought about what his future boss had said to him and said: "I am not a death eater, either."

When Remus ripped his shirt sleeve and waved his unmarked bare skin around for everyone to see, Sirius was already making plans to do so to Pettigrew to expose him but before he could, James in a sign of solidarity with his friends, ripped his own then told Crouch. "I also am resigning."

When Frank Longbottom and Edgar Bones also ripped their sleeves, it became a free for all until the only persons with their shirt sleeves still whole were Crouch, Yaxley who was trying to escape and Peter Pettigrew who was sweating.

Yaxley was almost to the door when he found himself wandless but another wand was pressed to his throat by an arriving Mad-Eye Moody who had delivered the last of his prisoners to their cell. "I think you need to show us your arm, boy-o."

When Crouch protested how they were treating his staff, threatening Moody with being terminated, the irrepressible auror just ripped the sleeve and exposed the still red and puffy mark on Yaxley's arm.

The hidden death eater was desperately looking for a way out as Sirius taunted Crouch about his own arm. The man whose skin had gone from puce to the color of mottled milk unbuttoned his sleeve and folded his shirt sleeve back to expose his unmarked skin.

Crouch was looking on in horror as Moody stunned his former guard. He had avoided detection regarding his son's unpleasant death, minus being blackmailed by that toadying witch Delores Umbridge. He had dealt with her, he had had her reassigned to working as a janitorial supervisor and had destroyed her reputation to protect his position.

Now his own guard... how could Yaxley betray him like this?He heard Bones discussing using veritiaserum on the death eater and cringed because Yaxley had been a very good listener and Crouch had gone on day after day about proving that Black was a death eater.

Looking for an out or a way to turn the spotlight off himself and onto someone else, he noted that there was someone else with a sleeve still down. Moving forward, not even asking, he reached out and ripped the sleeve of the rather chubby little man who hung out with Potter and Black.

There was a growl and heads turned when they realized it was coming from Remus Lupin who was staring at Peter Pettigrew's forearm. The left forearm which had the bright red and puffy dark mark on it.

"Bastard!" He snarled and was lunging at the wizard only to be stopped by his other two friends. "Let me go."

"No, it's fine. We already knew." That stopped Remus. He looked at the two standing next to him feeling as if all of them had betrayed him but it was Pettigrew's expression that had Sirius sneering and turning to the other wizards present.

"He is an animagus who is a rat so watch him carefully." He said as he glared at Peter. "We knew, Peter. We figured it out a while ago and have been using you to feed your master false information."

"Why didn't Dumbledore tell me?" Remus was whispering, his self-confidence shattered yet again.

"He didn't know. Sirius and I only figured it out and you were only around when Peter was after we found out or we would have told you." James was telling Remus while watching Sirius afraid he was going to lose it and attack Peter.

"Why?" Sirius was asking Peter. "Why would you..."

Sirius listened to the traitor offer the same excuses he had tried to use with Harry in the shrieking shack in the future. When the rat was told he was under arrest, he tried to report Sirius and James as illegal animagii only to be told that they had registered that morning and had paid their fines.

"It was agreed that since it was a time of war, we wouldn't face jail time," James told Peter. "You were a guest in my home, I let you near my son, how could you?"

"Your son, your son, it's all about that brat, isn't it." Peter whimpered as he looked at James. "You just had to marry that mudblood, have a brat with her..."

Frank Longbottom stopped James from attacking Peter and put himself between the Marauders and their betrayer as Peter went on and on with his reasons and complaints until even Crouch had had enough.

"Take him to a cell and put an animagus ward on it," Crouch said in a drained voice. Looking around the large room, he was about to dismiss all of them when he heard the sound of Alastor Moody speaking to his most disliked employee.

"Boy, I hear your grandfather kicked the bucket."

Sirius Black who was leaning against his desk just nodded silently.

"Rumor is that the Malfoy whelp is the heir." Moody probed. "A bit surprised your grandfather would let the name die."

Scoffing, Sirius looked at Moody and said: "You shouldn't believe every rumor you hear."

Crouch found himself at the center of a whirlwind before he could put together why Arcturus Black's death was important and he forgot about it as over the next few days secrets came out.

By the first day of 1982. Bagnold had retired to an island in the Azores, Crouch who had hoped to be her replacing soon found out that his secrets weren't so secret as he was forced to turn down the job and resign from the Ministry. Moody to his shock was the new Head Auror while a wizard named Wood was the new head of the department.

The new Minister was Fudge, which had pissed off Sirius enough that it had lit a fire under him regarding accepting his Black family inheritance.

James and he had not withdrawn their resignations from both the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix in spite of the Headmaster trying to convince them that their working together while following his lead was for the greater good.

He had been furious when they had accepted their respective seats within the Wizengamot, along with Frank Longbottom. Frank's mother Augustus had been thrilled and had sent the headmaster fleeing when he had tried to convince her that Frank being an auror was more important.

Remus had finally filled his friends in on his good fortune after being angry with them for several weeks for not telling him about Peter until his boss, the very mysterious Mr. Croaker had convinced him that they had had no choice.

So today was January 1st and Sirius Orion Black was babysitting his godson Harry James Potter so that James and Lily could go on a date. The little boy was staring at him with his bright emerald eyes as he told him about how Harry was going to be a great quidditch player someday. "There is this girl, she will run rings around you someday Harry. Her name is Hermione. Hermione Granger..."

* * *

2

* * *

Part Two

Strategic Trick or Treating

It had been two years since the demise of Lord Voldemort, Sirius was celebrating the anniversary by trying to convince James and Lily that he was more than capable of taking his three years and three-month godson out for muggle trick or treating by himself.

Lily seemed wary but James just outright refused to be left out. Remus who was helping Lily pour candy into bowls for the children that would be coming to the Potter house just outside of London on a rather busy muggle street; rolled his eyes and then looking at Lily said in an annoyed tone. "Those two idiots just want to get whatever treats they can talk the people out of."

"Moony, I think you have confused us with you. You are the one with the chocolate fetish." James said pretending to be hurt by the aspirations against his character. When his wife threw a now empty bag of Clark Bars at him, he nodded his head at the werewolf whose cheeks were suspiciously fat. "Really, you can't even wait until after the kids have gotten theirs can you?"

Lily looked at the clock and sighed. Trick or treating didn't start until after five this evening and it was barely three. "First of all, James you promised to hand out the candy so that I could take Harry out this year. After what happened last year there is no way on earth I would let the two of you take our son out without supervision. Seriously, you used magic to change poor Harry's costume and hit the houses in the neighborhood twice!"

"But Harry wanted the candy." Sirius protested. "Lily what were we supposed to do, disappoint that poor boy."

Now the sigh turned to a scoff as she took in the attempt at innocent looking expressions on their faces. When Remus smirked, she smacked the nearest Marauder and turning to look at him said "Hey, you were the one who attempted to cover for them. Like I wouldn't notice the four large bags of candy hidden in Harry's closet."

"Yeah, Moony what's up with not having the sense to transfigure the candy into something else to hide it." James retorted. "Besides, I have a much better plan this year."

"Oh, Merlin." Lily buried her face in her hands as laughter overcame her. When she had finally regained control she looked at the three so-called adults and said: "You do know that between the three of you, you could afford to go and buy large bags of full-size bars each of those types of candies and that it wouldn't affect your vault totals in the least."

"But Lily, it doesn't taste the same." James protested. Seeing Remus nodding in agreement, she turned to Sirius and saw that the third Marauder was grinning at her as he crumpled up a wrapper from the Snickers bar he had just tossed into his mouth whole.

"James they come from the exact same factory as the full-size bars." She replied exasperatedly with them.

"Yes but the candy tastes much better when we gather it by trick or treating with Harry, besides, Harry enjoys it." He said using the one pathway that always worked with his wife.

"Harry would enjoy a route canal if in the company of his papa and dogs." She pointed out as reasonably as she could when she merely wanted to send them bed without supper since they were acting the same age as the boy in question.

Lily heard Harry calling for her and was going to go and guide him down the stairs but Sirius grinned and hurried off to do so leaving Lily to place her hands on her hips and state firmly. "I am taking Harry out trick or treating and you James are supervising the passing out of candy here so that Remus doesn't eat it all."

When Sirius arrived in the front parlor, Harry riding his back, his hands wrapped around his neck and calling out that he wanted to ride Padfoot next, Lily deftly peeled her son off his godfather and asked him if he wished to go to Hogwarts and see the Halloween decorations that she had helped Professor Flitwick put up.

Harry grinned at his mommy and nodded yes so Lily went to put him in his fall jacket for the trip to Hogwarts. James looked at Remus and said, "Looks like we have our orders."

"How come he gets to go with them?" Remus said pointing at the man whose fingers were inching closer and closer to the large bowl containing the candies yet again.

"Ouch!" Sirius hastily pulled his hand back and then used it to rub the sore spot on his rear where he had just been hexed. "Really Lily? You would hex a guy from behind?"

"There are days when it feels as if I married all three of you. You two need to get wives or at the very least girlfriends. I need some people around who aren't filled with testosterone." she replied as she handed Harry over to his godfather then moved over to press a kiss to her husband's lips when she saw he had conjured a coat for himself. "James, you have to be nice."

"B-but it's Snape." He pointed out as he took his son from Sirius. "Do I really have to be nice?"

"Yes, remember he has much bigger things on his plate than that old feud with you." She warned him.

Sirius wanted to go with them to Hogwarts but he had been banned until after the Christmas holidays by Minerva McGonagall after he had sent his young cousin Nymphadora several rather large boxes of prank items from Zonko's Joke shop.

Dora the typical Hufflepuff had shared them with all of her housemates and for two weeks a prank war between the Lions and the Badgers had made Hogwarts a very interesting place to be a student. While the Puffs had lost points and been given house wide detentions; when the Deputy Headmistress had learned the items had come from Sirius, she had dragged the Marauder out of the Quidditch stadium from the Hufflepuff/Gryffindor game that they had been attending by his ear to let him know that it had not be appreciated.

When he had merely grinned, Minerva had told him that if she saw him anywhere close to Hogwarts until after the end of the year holidays, she would have him neutered in his animagus form.

So Sirius and Remus walked out the front door and apparated to Sirius house aka the doghouse; formerly known as 12 Grimmauld Place. Entering, Remus looked around for Kreacher and when the house elf didn't pop out to growl at the two of them, he asked: "Where is he?"

Sirius lead the way to the kitchen and pouring them each a cup of coffee said "Since we dealt with that dark artifact my brother stole from his former master, he has been almost pleasant. He has even been more accepting of the changes that Lily and I made to this pile of bricks."

Remus used the small spoon to add some sugar to his coffee then asked. "I saw Lucius Malfoy with Fudge yesterday."

Sirius chuckled and said, "He is still pouting that the Goblins and the Ministry both verified my claim the Black inheritance and that I don't have to pass it on to his son like he felt was only right."

"Are you worried?" Remus inquired as he sipped the now perfect coffee.

"Nah, Malfoy is now a paper tiger. He and I have come to an agreement." Sirius smirked then added "I don't get him tossed in Azkaban and he behaves. I know his secrets which when I revealed to him just how many I was aware of it, and that I had copies of proof multiple places, he backed down very quickly. As for Fudge, he is trying to befriend the man unaware that I own Fudge due to his own secrets."

Remus sighed, he disliked the political side of this version of James and Sirius but he would hypocritical since it had benefited him when they had used that power to shoot down restrictions on werewolves.

* * *

At Hogwarts, after James crossed the grounds to greet Hagrid, Lily was carrying Harry across the lobby and ran into Alice who was doing the same with Neville. When the two young mothers placed the boys on the stone they found themselves chasing after them as they followed the 'big kids' around. "How much did you get prepared?"

"I had help," Lily replied as an answer which had Alice chuckling in reply. She had had a taste of what it was like to have that particular trio around creating chaos and was often amazed at how well Lily dealt with them. "James and Sirius tried to convince me to let them take Harry out trick or treating again."

"They never learn." Alice responded then said "What time should Neville and I arrive. I don't have a costume for him, I tried but everything I came up with seemed it would be against the secrecy act."

"Don't worry about it, just bring him over, I will take care of the costumes. Harry is going as a muggle character from a movie I took James to see. I can place Neville in a different costume from the same movie." Lily replied.

"Ah, movies. Frank really loves those things." Alice said with a grin on her face. "Does James insist on the other two attending as well."

"No, that is where we often go on date-night while Sirius babysits Harry and Remus babysits Sirius. Oddly enough, Sirius enjoys watching them and uses them with his dates." Lily replied as they kept an eye on their young sons who were slowly moving towards the Great Hall. "Remus goes but he doesn't like the loud flashy movies that James does so he sometimes sneaks into muggle London and attends on his own."

The two boys were at the Great Hall doors, so Lily and Alice hurried to join them and when they opened it, watched their sons taking in the floating pumpkins lite by candles, the skeletons, black cats and floating witch's hats. "It looks lovely, Lily."

"We finished it right after lunch," Lily replied. Her former professor had been her master as she had been working on getting her mastery of charms. "I am glad he asked me to help him this year in spite of my attaining my degree."

"There are days I miss being here at Hogwarts." Alice replied with a sigh then hearing the sound of the Headmaster speaking to someone in the hallway she groaned and said: "Then I remember..."

Lily nodded in understanding. They had along with their husbands parted ways with the great Albus Dumbledore just before the end of the last war and while they had no regrets, the Headmaster's attitude was one of someone who felt that they had been greatly wronged.

He had tried to involve himself in her mastery only for Professor Flitwick to announce that if he didn't stay out his business, he would resign as Head of Ravenclaw and as a Hogwarts Professor. Dumbledore had backed down, but Lily had often seen his eyes on her in a manner that in a lesser man would be considered calculating. He often popped out of nowhere when Alice or she would bring their sons to the castle.

Lily winced when she realized that the Headmaster was speaking to Severus in the hallway. The newly appointed head of Slytherin house and she had an uneasy truce while she had been teaching and earning her mastery at Hogwarts but she had been aware that he still had some feelings for her and that made things awkward, to say the least.

She just didn't understand why he stayed at the school considering he had a Mastery of Potions, in fact, was one of the youngest to have earned it in a century. She knew he was well paid for the side potions he made so it wasn't a money issue.

When they heard the two wizards parting, Alice and Lily escorted Harry and Neville to the front of the room so that they could see the full effects of the decorations, then walked them down the hallway to visit with Sprout, Flitwick, and Minerva McGonagall before returning to their homes.

Just as they arrived in the staff room, Lily figured out where James had gone as they listened to him talking to the flying coach Madame Hooch. "Hello, James."

Her husband smiled and held his hands out to their son who he lifted and then turning to Minerva McGonagall, said "Your future seeker."

"James!" Lily laughed in spite of herself and then said to Minerva. "Sirius gave Harry a small snitch for his birthday and those two have been absurdly proud of him for catching it almost immediately. You know James, he might want to be a keeper or even a chaser."

"Nah, Harry likes fly...er, ah, I mean..." The entire room including the two boys laughed even if they didn't know that James Potter was trying to avoid telling his wife that he had had his son up- on an adult broom with him riding around their property.

Attempting to save one of his favorite Lions, Filius offered up a distraction. "Now you are forgetting that he might not end up in Minerva's house that might just be my new future Quidditch player or Pomona's or even Severus'."

At first, horror-struck at that last thought, James let out a quiet chuckle and said "I rather fear that if Harry ended up in Slytherin, Severus would flee the country. Could you see his reaction to being the head of house of my son?"

"There is no possible way that young Harry would ever land in Slytherin." Albus Dumbledore stated as he entered the staff room. Moving closer to the Potter boy, he tried to reach out to touch the boy only for James to maneuver him away. "This boy has a great future, Gryffindor will guide him well on his way."

"Maybe not, there is always the option of homeschooling." Lily muttered while Alice pulled Neville closer to herself as the Headmaster turned from Harry to Neville.

"Not possible, every single member of the Potter family has been a graduate of this fine institution. The same with the Longbottoms." Albus replied, his eyes twinkling madly. "After all Hogwarts is the best school for magic in the world."

Lily thought about that and decided to do a little research when she had the time. After politely wishing everyone a happy Halloween, the three adults escorted the children out of the school.

"I wonder how he knew we were there," Alice muttered as they left the grounds to head to the Three Broomsticks to floo home.

"The portraits probably told him," Lily answered. "Why won't he leave these two boys alone? The prophecy is gone."

It was just passed five when Lily had Harry dressed up as Darth Vadar and Alice had approved of the costume of Obi-Wan Kenobi for her son when the missing Marauders returned.

From the grin on Sirius' face, she knew what he was up to and only said "Fine, but only as Padfoot."

Winking at Harry, the older wizard changed into his animagus form while James and Remus debated arguing with Lily regarding her insistence on them dressing up as the Muggle version of a wizard and vampire.

Remus had not been amused until Lily had informed him that he was to be Merlin. Soon dressed in bright silver robes with purple trim and gold wands and cauldrons with a long white beard and a purple wizard's cap on his head, he heard the chuckles and was about to complain when he saw James and realized that the laughter was spread evenly between James and himself.

Sirius changed back into human form just to point and laugh at his two friends but that ended when Lily threatened to turn him into a muggle version of a bunny rabbit. A pink six-foot bunny rabbit.

Yelping, he changed back into Padfoot and was soon 'escorting' Harry and Neville as the two women stood back on the sidewalk as the two boys walked to the first few houses in the neighborhood. Soon the two 'big boys' were ensconced in muggle strollers as they faithfully visited each house.

Padfoot had a grand time, chasing his tail for the boy's entertainment and getting pet by random children, but most especially by the pretty mothers who were escorting their own kids. It was such a change from how he had spent Halloween 1983 in his previous lifetime.

By the time the path lead them back to their own home, Harry had fallen asleep, Neville was yawning and Alice was thrilled by how much fun they had had. Knocking on one last door, in fact, the door to the Potter residence, Lily waited until her husband had opened it and said: "Hey mister trick or treat?"

"Um, now aren't you a pretty little specimen. What if I were to demand a trick?" He asked with a leer at his wife. "Maybe after we put the kid to bed?"

Lily laughed along with the others then asked: "Where is Moony?"

"He crashed after his sugar high on the sofa," James replied pointing to the wizard asleep half laying on the sofa and floor still holding onto a chocolate candy wrapper. "He couldn't hold his chocolate buzz for long."

Neville and Alice exited through the floo after Lily had run a diagnostic test on all the candy gathered and James carried Harry up to bed. Removing his costume and tucking his son into bed, he quietly walked back down the stairs and rejoined the others wishing he really could spend some time alone with his wife, but Sirius intended to finally tell Remus and Lily the truth about his past/future.

Lily noticed how serious James and Sirius were and asked "What is it?

"I have a secret that I have been keeping from Remus and yourself." Sirius softly stated from where he sat next to the now awakened werewolf. "I made James take a magical vow to let me tell you in my own time unless I had died and then he was to tell the two of you immediately."

"Sirius?"

Looking at Moony, Sirius said "I didn't tell you not because I didn't trust you or you Lily, it's just that the news I am about to impart is almost too much to believe. Part of me had doubts that it was true, I thought it might have been a dream or that this was the dream. However, I found the young girl I saw in it, saw her and am now positive that I lived fourteen years into the future."

When Remus looked like he was about to protest that statement, Sirius said "It's true. The thing is that I spent thirteen of those years in Azkaban for killing Peter and betraying James and Lily who were dead."

Lily went still then turned to look at her husband who nodded yes then said "Sirius got a hold of a pensive. Please, just look at his memories. He was finally convinced enough last week that it was true to show them to me in spite of telling I wouldn't wish to see them."

James went to his study to retrieve the extremely rare pensive and set down on the coffee table. Sirius took his first year of important memories out from the moment that Albus told James and Lily about the prophecy until his marking his first anniversary in Azkaban on the wall with his own blood.

* * *

Chapter Three

Illegal Naps

Sirius entered his house and tossing his Wizengamot robe on a nearby chair collapsed onto the sofa with the intent of having a really nice long kip.

He had just toed his boots off and lifted his feet onto the sofa when he felt someone accessing the wards. Groaning, he stood with the intention of telling whoever it was to go away. He had had a long day dealing with all of the idiots in the Ministry thanks to James skipping out for the day and Frank Longbottom on vacation with his family.

Entering the hallway, he felt a bit of a revival of his energy when he saw that it was Lily Potter carrying Harry. "Hey, Lily. How is my favorite godson?"

"Harry is your only godson," she said while handing the young boy off to him. "I hate to ask but I need a really big favor."

"What sort of favor?" He asked warily. He had learned to be careful of Lily needing favors because the last time he had ended up going on a date with a witch she worked with. It had been an unremitting disaster.

"James and I have to attend a dinner party in the muggle world and I need someone to watch Harry." She explained. Seeing him perk up, she said: "I was rather sure that his godfather would like to be the first choice."

"I would and I will." He said as he went to divest his godson from the many many layers of clothing that Lily felt was necessary that particularly cold February afternoon. Lily stopped him and asked that he come over to the house around six. "Thanks, Lily."

"No, thank you." She said as she exited the house and went to the apparation point. Harry seemed to fare better with apparation then he did when they took the floo. Entering their house, she found James in his study frowning as he read a rather old book. "Caught you."

Her husband set the book down and stood to greet his family. "Sorry, I know I promised to go straight to the store, but something that Ragnok said rang a bell. I was looking through my father's old journal."

"Just don't forget you need to pick up that bottle of wine before we go this evening," she replied wishing that they didn't have to but it was the first part in her husband's plan to get revenge on her family for what they had done to Harry as seen in the pensive. "Sirius agreed to babysit."

"Should we call Remus?" He asked as he picked the book up again. "Just in case, you know how you worry."

"No, Sirius will be fine." She said knowing that in truth Remus and Sirius both were more than responsible babysitters, but she often worried about Sirius who would get an idea in his head and pop out without remembering to leave a note before taking their son off on some grand adventure.

Last time it had been to the muggle zoo. James and she had been frantic wondering where they were when he had returned with Harry carrying a stuffed lion and all sugared up from the cotton candy. The time before that, they had gone back to Sirius house and had fallen asleep. James and she had been so determined to yell at him but that had ended when they had seen Sirius fast asleep with Harry curled up on top of him, his hand wrapped around Sirius index finger.

They had later heard from the house elf that Harry had been determined not to go to sleep, so Sirius had decided to use the music box he had purchased to soothe Harry's upset emotions and both wizard and toddler had ended up asleep instead.

That evening, Lily was stepping on to her heels when she heard a wolf whistle and turned to roll her eyes at Sirius who had arrived carrying a small package wrapped in snitches. "Why do you look crazier than usual?"

Seeing him raising his eyebrow, she said "You look like you just rolled out of bed. Plus, you aren't wearing any shoes."

Looking down at his wrinkled clothes, the white socks on his feet and after a glance in a nearby mirror how messy his hair looked, he said: "I am starting a new style trend."

"Okay, well don't encourage Harry into following you," she replied then hearing her husband's footsteps entering the house from the outside, filled him in on their plans. "We are going to have dinner with the new head of Grunnings Drills. James and Ted Tonks met the man on the golf course today."

"What is a golf course?" Sirius asked while setting down his package to help Lily put on her muggle style dress coat.

"Muggle sport that Andromeda's husband plays. It's rather odd but it worked. We meet Albert Grunnings and managed to get invited to his company's anniversary celebration." James replied as he handed over the bottle of wine. "Will this do?"

Lily hesitated then said "I think so. What did Ted say?"

"The more expensive the better." He replied. Sirius took in the muggle cut suit and the tie his best friend was wearing and realized that for James to be dressed like that he was serious about making the Dursleys pay in some small way. "He said about fifty pounds. It was a bit more, but hopefully, it will work."

"How is this going to affect the Dursleys again?" He asked.

"This is a private party for the upper staff at Grunning's house. A dinner party at which wine is sure to be served. Let's just say that good ole Vernon isn't going to be happy to see us, and when he is unhappy, I believe from what I heard from others was that he drinks a bit more." Lily replied. "We are going to let his own bad habits lead him astray instead of doing it ourselves."

"He drinks shows himself to his boss and this is the beginning of a downward spiral at work that he will of course blame on us. We, however, will not be using magic to do anything, like Lily said, it will all be his own prejudices working against him." James added.

James looked at his wife and sighed. "Lily, its such a shame to waste such a gorgeous dress on something like this."

"She does do it justice," Sirius said with a smirk on his face as he once again looked over Lily who was dressed in a royal blue velvet cocktail dress and muggle shoes along with the matching jacket. When she picked up her muggle purse, he asked. "Where is your wand?"

"I am going without it." She answered. "James will have his."

Stopping her, Sirius said "Lily, are you sure that is such a good idea. It's just..."

Laying her hand on his arm, she said "I will be fine, at least for tonight. But I already realized that if we are going to be spending more time in the muggle world, I am going to have to find a way to disguise my wand. Now Harry is upstairs playing quietly with his stuffed animals, I am sure that won't last long once he realizes that his favorite dogfather is here."

Sirius grinned at the two as they went to the garage to drive away in the muggle car that Lily had insisted they buy and learn to drive. Closing the door, he locked it then grabbing his wrapped package for his godson, rushed up the stairs to join the now almost four-year-old. "Harry, I am here!"

Five hours later, Lily and James were entering the very quiet house. Looking around when she saw how clean her kitchen was, she chuckled and said: "It looks as if Sirius attempted to cook something again."

James lifted the lid on the trash bin and said: "He learned from last time, no evidence."

Taking off her coat and heels then waiting until James had removed his own, they were heading up the stairs to check on their son when James stopped her. "What is it?"

"Wait, I want to get the camera." He said hurrying back down the stairs with an impish grin on his face and wearing no shoes. Returning, he handed it to his wife and said: "Just in case."

Sure enough, when they arrived in Harry's room, they found the little boy laying atop his godfather, his fingers tangled in the older wizard's fur as Padfoot drooled all over the carpet that had Lily trying not to laugh.

When his wife was done snapping the photo, James stealthily moved forward with the intent of pealing his son off the oversized mutt and carrying him to bed, but his feet landed on a rather odd shaped toy, moved quickly off of it and ended up in a large briar patch of the menacing little toys and his loud and repeated "ouch" woke both the dog and child.

The wizard returned to human form and had his wand in his right hand trained on the two adults, the young boy in his left arm, held in a protective embrace.

When his brain caught up with his instincts and ignoring the wizard hopping around holding his injured foot, he said "Oh, it is you. Don't you know better than to sneak up on me, Prongs."

The young father glared at his 'best' friend after his wife had moved forward to take the offered child and placed him in his bed. His eyes went from the dark-haired wizard to the various piles of brightly colored block looking toys with strange circular things on top. Bending down to lift one and hold it between his thumb and forefinger, he asked: "What on earth are these things?"

Sirius bent down to scoop up a few of the large number of yellow, blue and red toys and began locking them together and showing James. "Aren't they great! They are called Legos. I saw them in a muggle toy store yesterday."

James tossed the one in his hand and watched as Sirius attached it by the part that had so damaged his foot to the others already in his hands. "And?"

Lily moved forward and saw what had caused the injury to her husband's foot and groaned. "Sirius, you didn't? Or rather I know you did because they are all on the floor. A better question might be just how many of those adult-injury inducing things are now going to be tracked all over my house?"

Grinning, Sirius said "Only five hundred of each color, but don't worry Lily, I put a charm on them so that if Harry drops them they always return to his bedroom."

"Did you say f-fi-five hundred? Each?" She asked weakly, her mind on how she had deftly avoided Harry seeing the toys for almost two years. She had heard from a former muggleborn classmate about Legos and their danger to feet and had been so proud of herself for keeping them out. So, of course, the king of chaos himself would find them, never mind that they were muggle toys, and he a pureblood, yup, she should have known better.

"Yes, they didn't have the green or black ones, but I ordered them. They will be arriving next week." He proudly announced, "Harry loves them."

"I am sure he does." She answered as she looked at James who seemed to be trying to figure out a response to what Sirius had done. She only wished she had thought to place them on the banned toy list when she saw the huge grin on Sirius' face when he pointed out the small building now put together that sort of resembled the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. "Uh, thanks. I am sure that Harry will find lots of pleasure playing with them."

"I heard that they have even better ones for when he grows older," Sirius said. "I can't wait until I can help him made a version of Hogwarts castle with them. It won't be life-sized of course."

James paled as he realized just how many of those little menaces it would take to make a copy of Hogwarts Castle and hastily looked towards his fast asleep on. "Maybe he could build the castle at your place?"

Moving towards the Quidditch pitch, he tried to pull one apart from the whole like he saw Sirius doing and it wouldn't come apart. "What am I doing wrong?"

Sirius eagerly moved closer and said "I put a permanent sticking charm on that once since it was Harry and my first creation. It only took 300 of the legos to do the entire pitch."

Lily cheered up at the idea of that meaning she only had seven hundred more of the things left to use up when she noticed the time. Suggesting that they leave Harry's room, she pressed a kiss on Sirius' cheek, thanked him for the present as well as babysitting and announced she was heading to bed, knowing that the Marauder would soon get the hint.

Downstairs, James and Sirius were talking about how the night had gone. "He was a bit drunk when he left but his boss saw him in all his glory. You should have seen it, his angry reaction to finding out that I own part of Grunnings."

"Was he as bad as he was in Moony's description in my memory?" Sirius inquired.

"Not yet, but he does need to skip a few meals, plus he already has a bit of a comb-over. He was so unctuous acting towards his boss, I was tempted to ask for a pail to throw up into." James explained. "Lily's sister was polite but cold as ice towards us. She certainly doesn't have any friends among the other wives. Likes to lord it over the newer staff that she is the wife of an upper sales manager whatever that means."

"What is going to happen next?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing, I am going to just make a few visits here and there to the company and factory. Now, before you go, what was up with the other two men in our foursome. Ted said that you asked him specifically to have us play a round with them."

"Unless things change too much from my return, you might have just met your son's future father in law. The dentist." He said with a smug grin.

"What?!"

"The girl in my memories with all the hair and as many brains. That was her father. Doctor Granger. I just think that if I am going to be making changes for Harry, it's only right..." Sirius trailed off then looking off into the distance from his spot at the window, he seemed to gather his thoughts then said "James, Harry didn't know love, not really, not what different kinds there were and what they meant. That girl, he missed a great opportunity with her fourth year, then by the fifth year, he was so angry, so frustrated he was missing what was right in front of his eyes. Plus.. plus I think that good ole Molls was already trying to pair him with her daughter, who by the way, you should see where Lily's dad was at the time because this girl; her daughter looks a lot like Lily..."

"What are you trying to say, Padfoot?" James asked trying to decipher the jumps in the topic. "Lily having a look alike, what does that have to do with anything..."

"Nothing and everything," Sirius said with a sigh. "It's just complicated yet very, very simple. Molly Weasley's daughter had a crush on the boy who lived, Harry befriends Ron and this young girl, Molly who spoils her little girl decides to help her gain her boyfriend of choice and her son, a brilliant and resourceful girlfriend. Not that it had happened yet, but the way she was talking, I got the feeling she wasn't above helping things along a little to her way of thinking. I just can't help thinking... Hermione, this young girl, and the Harry of my time before. I am not saying it will be the same here, but I just don't want to be responsible for your son missing out on the best thing from his life in my previous future."

"Amelia, I have to say I am surprised to see you here this late."

She had a grim expression on her face as she asked to be invited in. James heard footsteps and turned to see an anxious-looking Sirius who relaxed when he saw his former auror partner. "Amelia."

She looked at Sirius and her grim expression lightened for a moment then asked. "Do you have your own place or have you just given up the pretense of being an adult and moved in here?"

"I was babysitting." Sirius replied then seeing her disbelieving expression asked "What?"

"It's a Saturday night and the very single and very active Sirius Black is babysitting his godson?" She asked. "What has become of this world? What about all those sad sack witches who hope to catch themselves a rich wizard?"

"The world and the ambitious will just have to find a different wizard to trick into marriage. Now, I am rather sure you didn't come here to track down Sirius, Amelia." Lily said as she returned down the stairs and moved to stand next to her husband.

The senior auror grimaced and was no longer so happy as she looked at James and Lily. "I do apologize for the late visit but an hour ago we had to go to deal with a situation that connects to the two of you. Do either of you know Sybil Trelawney? She worked at Hogwarts for two years but abruptly quite earlier this year after saying that she was being haunted by spirits."

"Peeves more than likely," James said as an aside to his wife. "I know the name but no more than that."

Amelia grimaced again then with a sigh told them the rest. "She was killed earlier this evening, but it seems as if she saw her death. She sent an owl to me. In it, she says she is going to be killed because of a prophecy she saw regarding your son Harry. When we arrived at her place, she was dead. The odd thing was that she was murdered with a muggle weapon."

"Amelia that was the prophecy that the Headmaster was going on about before Voldemort died. According to the Department of Mysteries, it went black already." James said not liking this one bit. Why was all of this coming back now?

"The only reason I am even here, the Chief Warlock himself showed on at the crime scene. He tried to claim that the prophecy is still active and claims to have proof but refused to offer it up to me. He said that it is too important for it to be made public." She said hoping someone would tell her what the hell was going on.

She saw Sirius make an almost involuntary movement then go still again, so when they claimed to have no knowledge of anything else, she left and returned to the Ministry.

Looking at Kingsley Shacklebolt who was the secondary auror on the case, she asked: "What did you find out?"

The tall wizard leaned against the desk and said "I spoke to an Unspeakable and they assured me that the prophecy was fulfilled in 81. However, they might not be telling the truth. I have heard rumors that Potter's old classmate Lupin is working for them."

"I believe them." She said and seeing his skepticism said: "I think that they know more about that prophecy than we do, but I do believe that it is no longer active in spite of what Dumbledore seems to believe."

"Look, Amelia, I know that you were partners with Black, but I tend to side with Dumbledore on this." He replied. "It just fits with the facts."

"Okay, break it down for me." She said looking at the other wizard.

At the Potter house, James and Lily went to check on their son and Sirius hurried home, dressed more appropriately and flooed to the Ministry. He had James' old cloak with him with the intent of going to speak to Moony but had wanted to remain unseen.

He was passing the auror department with the intent of using the normally empty hallways to sneak down without being seen or heard. When he heard Amelia Bones speaking to Kingsley Shacklebolt, he stopped and moved closer.

"First of all, according to Dumbledore, the Potters, Black and Lupin have gone from being tight with his old group to avoiding them. He said that it is almost as if they are hiding something. They have also refused to allow him anywhere near their son. This is Dumbledore, why would they do that. He is the..."

"I hate to interrupt you Kingsley, but are all your reasons things you heard from the Chief Warlock or have you independently verified any of what he has said?" She asked.

When he frowned then said, "Why would I do that, it's Dumbledore, Amelia."

"If it was anyone else, we would double check anything we were told, just because he is Dumbledore doesn't mean we don't verify facts. Now, as for that group avoiding him, so isn't Longbottom. Our chief warlock wasn't happy when those particular wizards didn't vote how he wished them to. You aren't privy to what goes on in the Wizengamot but to me, what you are hearing from the man sounds like the political maneuverings of a politician."

"But it's Dumbledore, he even turned down being Minister, Amelia."

"That doesn't make him a god or even right." She said turning aside his blind belief in the man. "Look, I am not saying he is wrong, but in truth, I know from speaking to Edgar Albus Dumbledore is very unhappy that certain former students like Potter, Black and Longbottom and himself are forming their own voting block. He feels that they should do as he wishes and not ask questions."

When the wizard started to speak, she held up her hand to forestall him and said: "No, unless you have hard facts, not provided by the Headmaster, we aren't looking any further into this prophecy angle."

Seeing his disagreement, she added "If you wish to be removed from the case, I can have you reassigned. Also, if this conversation goes any further than the two of us, meaning if you go back and tell a certain former Headmaster you will be reported. You and I will be parting ways."

"Surely you don't think the Headmaster had anything to do with the death of this witch?" Kingsley asked shocked.

"No, I don't, but I also don't like how he is trying to point us in the direction of the Potters. I intend to keep an open mind and looked into all suspect. Now, James and Lily Potter attended a party at a muggle residence of a company he owns stock in, there were witnesses and apparently photos. So that eliminates them."

"What about Black?" He asked.

"Babysitting their son," she answered.

TBC


	14. Santa Too

Draco Versus Santa

Dear Santa

Draco was eavesdropping on the group of muggleborn first years in the library, hoping to find out something useful to get out of detention with his godfather. He knew that they were friendly with Potter even if he didn't know the names of any of them. As the third year student rolled his eyes at the hero worshiping sound of the girls drooling over Potter's eyes, he sneered and reminded himself that his own eyes were considered attractive by lots of witches and he knew that in spite of his father being faithful, the older wizard had lots of witches throwing themselves at him.

Getting bored after a while and frankly nauseated at the idiocy of the firsties, he was exiting the library when the leader of the Harry Potter fan club, that muggleborn with a camera came rushing in and ignoring the library shouted to those gathered "You are not going to believe what I just found out. He is real, and so is Rudolph. He's magical everyone."

Draco did have a good laugh when the librarian used her wand to levitate the now noisy group out of the library and slammed the doors behind them, but when this didn't even seem to faze the five of them, Draco was now intrigued as they were gathered around the boy they kept calling Colin.

"How do you know?" The smallest girl whose very clothes gave Draco a headache as he saw the bright pink jumper with a sparkly unicorn on it eagerly asked. "About St. Nick?"

The boy pulled a book out of his bag and to Draco's surprise they simply sat down on the stone floor and began to ooh and ahh as Creeper, no Creepy, no, blast that wasn't it...

"Creevey." Draco said out loud, proud of himself for recalling the annoying Gryffindor's name. "You shouldn't be mistreating school property like that."

Using his wand, he called the book to himself and looked at the cover. "Muggle myths and magical facts. What load of rubbish is this anyway?"

"Nothing you will ever have to worry about. He would only give a prat like you, coal." Colin smugly replied. If his hero Harry could stand up to the Slytherin, so could he. He was about to demand the older boy return his book when he saw their Potions' Professor heading their way. "You should know, if you aren't good, you won't be getting any special presents at Christmas time this year."

"My parents always buy me whatever I want." Draco bragged.

"Oh course they do." Colin retorted. "Santa surely won't because you are surely on the naughty list."

With that statement, the muggleborn and his small group of like minded students snickered and then they all turned and went in the opposite direction. Draco stood there shaking his head in disbelief at the stupidity of muggles when he felt the heavy hand of his godfather's hand on his shoulder. "Mr. Malfoy I do believe that we had an appointment in my office that is to start in five minutes. I suggest that you start heading that way."

Draco pouted as he realized he had nothing to barter with to get out of detention with Severus, so he just followed the older man down the stone steps to the dungeons and once in his office sat down in the chair right in front of his desk.

"What were you thinking, Draco?" The older wizard asked as he sat down across from his godson. "I warned you to stay away from Potter and to avoid taunting him, but you just ignore your father's directions and my direct orders." Severus snarled. "If you can't learn from being told what to do, maybe it is time for more drastic matters."

Staring at his godfather, wondering what on earth the wizard was talking about, he was shocked when Severus ordered him to put down his book and come around to his side of the desk. Once there, Severus lifted his godson and placed him on the desk so that they were now eye to eye. "At the beginning of this summer, you begged me to treat too like the teenager you now are. Is that still what you want me to do?"

Draco hesitated, he loathed answering questions when he had no idea what the outcome might be. Staring at his godfather, determined to gain his approval, he replied "Yes."

"Good." Severus announced and then backing away, told Draco to bring him his broom.

"My broom?" He asked hesitating. "Why do you want my broom?"

"Because it will be remaining in my office until the winter holidays." Severus stated.

"But what about Quidditch?" Draco asked.

"I will inform Mr. Flint that he must locate and train another seeker between now and the game against the Ravenclaws." Severus said in a cool tone.

"B-bu-but...?" Draco was sure that this was some sort of test, but he didn't like it no he definitely didn't like it as he went to his dorm room to retrieve his Nimbus 2001. Returning to the Potion's office, he handed his broom over, expecting his godfather to return it but instead the wizard looked at him and said "If you are going to act like a naughty child, I will treat you as one. Draco at some point soon, you are going to have to decide what it is going to take for you to realize that the world doesn't revolve around your wants and needs."

"No, apparently at Hogwarts, it revolves around Potters." He sneered as he went to write a letter to his father requesting he demand that his godfather return his broom.

Severus stopped his godson from leaving and reached down to awkwardly pat him on his shoulder saying. "Potter needs the same lesson, but what you don't seem to understand is that it isn't your job to convince him of that."

Draco was about to leave again, when his godfather pointed out that he had forgotten his book. Draco returned for the book, picked it with the intention of finding a way to use it and the annoying brats he had seen earlier with it, against Potter and his annoying friends.

TBC

* * *

Santa TOO

An eight year old Draco Malfoy sneered at the muggles that were all over the place like ants around an piece of old moldy fruit left lying on the ground. He hadn't wanted to come with his father to this horrid muggle place, he had wanted to stay home and torment that annoying house elf some more, but no, his Mother had insisted on his going to this...this place with his Father.

Seeing all sort of muggle children standing in a queue dressed in strange clothes and whining to their parents, he pointed and asked "Father, what are they doing?"

Lucius used his height to his advantage and looked at the front of the queue and said "I do believe that they are in line to visit with that strange looking man wearing that red suit."

"Why?" Draco asked.

"I have no idea why muggles do the odd things that they do, Draco. I would suggest that you cease interrupting me and we will be able to return home much quicker." He stated, getting annoyed with the whining tone of his only son and heir.

Draco thought about it and then looking at his father announced. "I want to know why they are visiting with that odd man. May I wait here in line until you come back?"

Lucius looked around and saw that he could see the line from the entrance of the store in which he was going so he approved of his son's request. "Stay in line, don't create a scene and whatever you do, don't touch one of the muggles, Merlin only knows what diseases they carry."

Lucius hurried into the muggle store, annoyed he was there but it was at the request of his wife. Watching through the glass window, he saw his son standing patiently moving forward when the line did until he was almost out of view.

Handing over the muggle funds, accepting the strange bag that the salesman handed him, Lucius went to locate his son. Draco was now within several feet of the odd looking man. The skeptical look on his face, had Lucius feeling uneasy as he moved closer.

The current muggle child had slid off the lap of the man wearing the red suit and was now accepting a small bag from a woman dressed equally as strange and was now sliding down a bright red ramp and shouting wee.

Draco stepped forward, looking at the obese man wearing the red velvet and fur lined outfit and cap. "Who are you?"

"Santa Claus." The man replied with a twinkle in his eye as he called out "Ho. Ho. Ho. What would you like for Christmas young man? However, before we get down to your wishes, how about you tell me if you have been naughty or nice this year, young Draco Malfoy."

"How do you know my name?" He asked suspiciously as he stared with narrowed eyes at the man in front of him.

"I know the name of all little girls and boys in this world. I even know that you have a pet rabbit named Mr. Bippity Bop." The man replied. "So, tell me have you been naughty or nice this year, Draco?"

"I am not answering." Draco snapped as he glared at the man in front of him. Looking around, trying to find a way down, now that he had his answer of who this strange person was, he saw the slide and rolling his eyes, he slid down the ramp and walked over to his father. "That was a waste of my time."

"Most muggles are." Lucius replied as he led the way out of the center of the mall and towards a more peaceful spot hoping to apparate home. Seeing the bookstore nearby and recalling that he had seen muggle books in his friend Severus Snape's rather extensive collection, he went inside and pointed Draco to some nearby chairs and ordered him to sit there.

Draco did as ordered and when a perky muggle girl came over and handed him some books, he was about to reject them when he saw the drawing on the front cover of a man who looked just like the one who had told him he was someone called Santa Claus.

Lucius looked over to see that his son was reading a muggle book rather intently so he went back to choosing an acceptable selection of leather bound books for gifts.

A half hour later, he saw that his normally restless son was still reading and approached him. When Draco simply left the book and stood without giving it a second glance, Lucius stated. "I have to make a visit to Flourish and Blotts, if you behave yourself, we might stop for some ice cream."

Draco nodded that he understood and when they arrived at a private spot, held onto his father as they apparated to the alley behind Madam Malkins Robe shop. A quick visit inside and then they were soon heading to the bookstore.

Draco wandered around the shelves until he saw a book on the end shelves. Lifting it, he saw that it was entitled Muggle Myths and their Magical Basis. Showing it to his father, he requested permission to purchase it using his allowance.

"I thought you wanted that new broom?" Lucius inquired.

"I do but I saw that this book contains the answers to the questions I was asking earlier." Draco stated and was pleased when his father informed him that he would purchase the book for his son, as long as Draco finished reading it.

Draco was agreeable to that and quickly joined him as his father paid for the assortment of books he himself wanted. A trip for an everlasting Sundae later and they had returned to Malfoy Manor where Draco took hold of his new book and rushed off to his bedroom.

When their son hadn't come down for dinner, Narcissa went to check on her son only to find him engrossed in a book. Ordering one of the house elves to bring him a meal in his room, she backed out of the bedroom and went to speak to her husband.

"Are you aware that Draco has been reading since the two of you returned home?" She asked as she sat down on a nearby settee as she watched him working at his desk.

"Yes, something he saw at the muggle store created questions for him. I encouraged it because he read thin books at the muggle bookstore and then intended to spend his own funds to purchase the book." Lucius stated as he sat back in his office chair and looked at his surprised wife.

"Something muggle?" She asked completely shocked and concerned by the idea.

"I am not sure, but I will guide him in the right direction when I question him on what he has learned in that book." He replied before returning to his paperwork.

Draco was knee deep in learning about the way that all muggles seemed to have a small bit of knowledge of the magical world. He was astounded to find out that they were aware of certain aspects of his world and that they seemed to believe what they knew was myth and not reality.

They were aware of the magical who had existed in Greece only they believed them to be mythical gods over two thousand years before. They were aware of dragons and phoenixes, of witches and wizards. They knew of elves and centaurs plus unicorns.

Draco was finding that his entire belief system was being thrown away because he had been taught that muggles didn't know of these things. As he went to the next chapter he found what he was looking for. The chapter was about muggle traditions and their magical origins. 

Reading about Cupid, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, he eventually found the next chapter to be about Halloween and how it's muggle origins were based on magic. The very last chapter had him biting his lip as he read about the muggle belief in a toy making elf and his flying reindeer who delivered all of the world's children toys if they were deemed nice by his team of helpers.

Recalling the man in the red costume and how he had known his name, Draco wasn't sure what to think as he sat up well past his bed time, trying to wrap his mind around the idea of an elf who did everything that the book claimed he did.

Still, as he tried to deny the myth, he found himself once again recalling the man in the red outfit knowing his name.

"Draco? Why aren't you in bed?" Lucius approached his son and to his surprise he saw that Draco was more than two third through the book. "Draco have you read all of this?"

"I am on page 216, Father." Draco announced before looking at his father and stating. "That man at the muggle mall, he said he was someone called Santa Claus. He knew my name, Father."

Lucius was not happy at all with that, but he calmed his son down and said "He probably was just a muggleborn who knows a good legimancy charm, nothing more, Draco.

TBC


	15. Albus Dumbedore:Take Two

Albus Dumbledore: Take Two 

Chapter One Part I 

I woke up screaming this morning. I then had to apologize to everyone in the staff meeting. 

Albus Dumbledore woke up screaming, his eyes wide and his hands tightly clenched in fists. His back stiffened and he realized he was now in his office chair. Hearing voices he looked up to see his four heads of house staring at him fearfully. 

"I am sorry for disturbing everyone." He said with a twinkle in his eyes even as they scanned the papers on his desk to give him an idea of the when and what the meeting was about. "It's fine. I am fine. I just had a brilliant idea last night and spent a good portion of the it working on executing my plan."

There were two inward groans from two of his staff members, while Filius Flitwick looked at him with an interested expression on his face. Holding up his hand, Albus announced "I will explain as we get closer to the new school year. For now, just enjoy your summer."

His staff stood and other than a worried glance from Minerva, they all began to discuss their plans for the summer.

"Severus, please stay behind for a moment." Albus quietly asked.

When the dark haired man did as requested, he waited until his staff had exited the tower and then requested Severus be seated. "We must discuss something that I have been avoiding since the moment you started teaching here."

"Sir?"

"Severus, this deliberate neglect and tormenting of the students of Gryffindor house is to end. The students now in that house had nothing to do with the humiliation you had to put up with as a student." Albus replied. "Severus, I suggest that you take some time this summer to decide if teaching is the best use of your skills. If you choose to leave, I will arrange for you to receive safe passage to Australia or maybe Canada if you prefer."

He watched as his potion's professor rubbed the dark mark on his arm and grimaced. "I think Lily would understand, Severus."

"I made a vow, Albus. I must fulfill it." He replied firmly. "I have to stay here."

"Then you must begin to make these changes. You do realize that Harry will be a student here next term." He asked. He saw the anger flare up in the other man's eyes and said "Yes, it has been that long."

"I-I...we talked about this." Severus replied his eyes unable to meet the older man's.

"I was thinking about that. It might not work, Severus. I am not so sure that your former master will believe you have been patiently awaiting his return. I fear that your life will be forfeit if you return to spying. I feel you might be better served to work on saving as many of your house as you can." He gently replied. Seeing the fear that was covering the small glimmer of hope in the former Death Eater's eyes, he said "Severus, spend the rest of June and all of July doing what you normally do, then return at the beginning of August, we will talk more than."

"Thank you, Headmaster." He said before standing and with a sharp nod, he exited the tower and never noticed as the elderly man still in the office sank into his chair and lowered his head into his hands.

* * *

Chapter Two

Two hours later, Albus drew some inner strength and stood before heading to his personal quarters. Once there, he walked to his desk and looked at his personal papers, those with notes and details of all his plans for the next several years, then removing his wand, HIS wand, not the elder wand, he levitated them to his fireplace and set them ablaze.

Soon seated at his private desk, he pulled out some fresh parchment and with a grimace sat down to write out all he was going to be required to do and all that he had been warned about. He had tried to find a way around their orders, had even tried to say that how things turned out was proof that how he had gone about things had been correct, but he had been rather forcefully convinced by OTHERS that he wasn't.

When a house elf popped into his quarters to inquire about lunch, Albus requested several sandwiches and some fresh fruit along with milk. Returning to his work, he soon had all of the new rules he was to follow and implement written down while finishing off the delicious lunch the house elves had provided.

It was dusk when he finally finished with his notes. Sitting back, he breathed a sigh of relief, not feeling the least bit tired as he looked at his list and considered waiting until the beginning of the school year to start his required reparations to those he had wrong.

As he began to consider it, he felt a slight tug at his magic and grimaced as he realized his minders weren't going to let him so much as deviate one bit from their own plans.

Wondering he could at least make one small change into who they insisted on having initiate young Harry about their world, that small tug became a sharp pain in his stomach and began to radiate out until he found he had a raging headache.

Taking a headache potion and easing himself down into his bed, he tried to nap only to find himself once again in his old family home, sitting on a sofa and realizing that he had no choice, none other than to do as ordered...

TBC


	16. Chapter 16 A Christmas List

A/N: Wrote this at Christmas time and it ended up in the Dusty Bunnies file, thought I would post since I am emptying them all out.

 **A List for Santa**

Harry Potter stared at the rather jolly looking man in disbelief as he told the young boy who he was. "Truly, Mr. Potter, I am Father Christmas, if you are able to believe in magic, why do you find the fact that I exist so surprising?"

Harry sank onto the bench at the foot of his temporary bed in the Leaky Cauldron pub and struggled to answer the man. "I-I don't know, I guess because no one has ever told me that you were real in the magical world."

The man with the curly beard and bright blue eyes said "If you only believe what others tell you, then you are a fool, Mr. Potter and I don't happen to think that you are a fool. A bit overly concerned about what others say and if I may say a bit too trusting, however, those are failings that your parents also suffered from."

"You knew my parents?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Well, your mother more than your father." The short man announced before taking a seat on the only chair in the room. "I don't visit all magical children, only those who need me."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Your friend Neville Longbottom needs me, so I make an annual visit to his manor. With only his rather austere grandmother raising him, he needs a bit looking out for. Your mother was the younger sister of a very unhappy woman whose family wasn't well off. So she needed me. However, your father was the only child of doting and wealthy parents, so he didn't require my services."

"Oh." Harry said in a flat tone before asking "What did you mean when you told me that I would receive presents to make up for the past?"

"Unfortunately, there was a magical block preventing me from doing anything more than sending you presents for the last twelve years of your life so I could only send you rather extravagant gifts. To make matters even worse, I was informed by my watcher elves that your rather unpleasant relatives promptly gave your presents to your undeserving cousin. That one has been on the naughty list for years. If he misbehaves this year, he will end up on the permanently banned list just like those Weasley twins."

"Fred and George are banned? Why?" Harry asked.

"Those two crossed a very serious line a few years ago with their older brother Percy and will not receive a present until they return what they took from him." Father Christmas said shaking his head clearly disappointed in the twins.

Harry wanted to argue about that but found that he couldn't when he cheered up at the idea of Draco Malfoy being denied anything he wanted from the Christmas wizard.

Santa chuckled and said "Harry, I do have the ability to see what you are thinking. Mr. Malfoy isn't banned just yet. He is, however, another one of those with a doting family who really doesn't need my help. In fact, the only constant request from myself by Mr. Malfoy isn't a selfish one, it is something that he wishes for his parents."

"Really?" Harry asked doubting the man. "I would have expected Draco's list to be full of toys and expensive magical gadgets."

"One shouldn't judge a book by its cover." Santa gently admonished. "Speaking of books, I would like you to work on getting your young friend Ms. Granger to expand her requests this year to something more than world peace, happiness for those around her and books."

Harry had to grin at that request. It sounded so very much like the Hermione he so knew and loved.

"Now, back to my reason for this visit," Santa said holding out a piece of parchment and a quill. "I would like you to write down a list of twelve presents you would like this year and twelve wishes to make up for my past inability to help you."

"Now?" Harry asked unsure what to ask for.

"Oh, no. Not exactly. I just need you to write down the rules, young Harry Potter." Santa replied.

"There are rules," Harry asked.

"There are always, always rules, young Harry," Santa said with a gentle smile. "Now, take the quill and parchment."

Harry sat up and pulled his potion's textbook over to use as a solid base so that he could write down what the man told him.

"Rule #1, these are wishes for yourself. You must be selfish for the majority of them. I will allow one wish to be granted for someone deserving in your life."

Harry was already thinking on using that wish to help the Weasleys; after all, they had done so much for him the previous two years.

"Rule #2, you may not tell anyone at all about this wish granting. Not your best friend. Not your headmaster."

Harry knew that would be difficult, the not telling Ron part, he wasn't sure he would even see the Headmaster the upcoming school year.

"Rule #3, No requests for world peace or people to live forever. I am magical, not divine." Harry grinned at that rule, reminded of Hermione's request.

"Rule #4, no bringing people back from the dead. I understand wanting to have your parents in your life, but that is beyond my ability." Harry had been expecting that rule, so he only nodded that he understood.

"Rule #5, no wishing for bad things to happen to others. This includes the man you know as Lord Voldemort. He will be dealt with when the time comes by the appropriate authorities. I believe that the Grim Reaper received one small part of his soul last year and expects more to arrive soon."

"Rule #6, I will need that list of requests by November 30th. However, if you would be so kind as to finish it by the end of the summer, I would greatly appreciate it."

"How do I send it to you?" Harry asked. "If Hedwig brings it where will it go?"

"Just write it to me, sign your name at the bottom and it will magically come to the elves manning the book." Harry nodded and Santa stood to go. Stopping for a moment, he said "One last thing."

Holding out his hand, the man muttered some words and Harry found several new books on his bed and a signed permission slip allowing him to visit Hogsmeade that school year.

Looking at the books, then at the man, Harry said: "What are those?"

"I never fulfilled your mother's wish that final year. She paid me a visit when she found out I was to be paying you a personal visit. Those books are to partly fulfill her final wish for yourself."

Harry lifted the books and looked doubtfully at them. "Does she want me to read them?"

"In a way. Your mother requested that I change your electives this upcoming school year. She was rather unhappy you choose to take magical creatures and divination."

"She was?" Harry asked, swallowing hard as he tried to deal with the idea of disappointing his mother.

"Yes, she placed a letter in the Runes textbook for you. You will be the only person able to read it. I believe your father and she spent hours trying to decide what to write when they were informed that they would only be allowed six feet of parchment for the project."

Harry dived for the runes textbook and found the folded parchment with dark green ink. Opening it, he ran his fingers over the neatly written HJP. Turning the letter over, he saw the matching green melted wax with the deer stamped into it and carefully pried it away.

"Oh, and Harry."

Tearing his eyes away from the letter, the thirteen-year-old boy looked up at the gray haired man. "Yes, sir."

"I have a feeling that this won't be the only meeting we will have. I am rather sure that you are meant to do great things with your life. Don't allow yourself to be misled by a lack of faith in yourself or by placing your faith in the wrong people. Knowledge young man is the key to your future. Learn what you need, don't always expect young Ms. Granger to be the one finding the answers."

Harry nodded and watched as the man placed his finger at the side of his nose and just disappeared up the chimney. Rushing to the fireplace, he saw that the fireplace was still unlit and with wide eyes returned to the bed and sat down to read the letter his parents had sent to him.

Dearest Harry;

 **Your father and I are so proud of you. We have watched over you for the last eleven and a half years wishing that we could rescue you from my sister and her dreadful family. I am so sorry that the Headmaster blocked our will and placed you with those horrible people against our wishes. You were to be placed with your godfather Sirius Black or your godmother Alice Longbottom and her family. Her son Neville is your class and dorm mate.**

 **Right now you are thinking why didn't this happen? Well, firstly because the Headmaster incorrectly believed that it was a blood ward that I placed on you. It isn't safe so please feel free to leave Privet Drive. Your father would prefer that you were behind strong family wards like those that the Longbottoms or other old magical families have.**

 **When you are seventeen, you will receive your family inheritance but unfortunately, it is against the rules for you to do so(rules created by the Headmaster while serving in the Wizengamot) for this to happen any sooner.**

 **Your godparents, Alice, and her husband were tortured ten days after our deaths by a witch named Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband, and brother-in-law. I believe that there was another wizard named Barty Crouch Junior there but I am not positive.**

 **Regarding your godfather Sirius. he was NOT our secret keeper in spite of what you have been told. Our secret keeper was another one of your father's friends, Peter Pettigrew. Unfortunately, no one knows this and only you will be able to read this letter. Sirius arrived at our home after the battle and found you in your crib crying. For some reason unknown to us, when Hagrid showed up, Sirius handed you over. We believe that the Headmaster played a part in that event. He then foolishly chased after Peter and landed himself Azkaban prison. He has been there since that night.**

 **Our will and testament clearly stated that you were not to be placed with my sister. The Headmaster believing in the blood wards ignored our wishes. The man believes that only he knows the correct path to the future and that the magical world will follow his lead unquestioningly. The problem is that we should always ask questions. NO ONE is infallible. Not even Albus Dumbledore. His arrogance has already proven dangerous to you.**

 **I imagine you are wondering what I mean by that statement, so let me explain.**

 **Firstly, there was your placement with the Dursleys. Second, I adore Hagrid but he isn't exactly the best person to introduce anyone to the magical world.**

 **Your father would have preferred that it had been Professor McGonagall, your head of house. I myself would have preferred that it had been an old friend of mine, Severus Snape. Yes, you read that right, Severus. No James. I will not write Snivellus. When are you going to grow up, James? Now stop!**

 **Harry, Severus wrongly believes that you live with my parents if he knew the truth, would be one of your biggest supporters.**

 **Harry, I know that Severus isn't the most pleasant of individuals and that he is difficult to deal with, however, he could be a real ally for you against what is to come. I want you to find a way to get a hold of the family pensive which is in the Potter vault, not your trust vault, the Potter vault.**

 **Please tell the Goblins that our keys were misplaced upon our deaths. They can do a blood test and verify that you are you and they will allow you to remove it from there and explain what you need to know.**

 **Once you get a hold of the pensive, dump this memory into the pensive and show it to Severus. Unfortunately, he is the only one who would be able to see into the memory due to the magic surrounding this letter.**

 **While you are doing so, place your memory of your very first class with him into the bowl. Trust us, Harry. It will make all the difference in the world to your future.**

 **Oh, back to what we started to write earlier, Harry the stone that you rescued during your first year had been kept in a vault at the Paris branch of Gringotts for over five hundred and fifty years without a single incident of attempted theft including during world war two. It was the Headmaster who got it in his head that it was much safer at Hogwarts.**

 **Funny how badly that worked out, isn't it? Instead, it was almost lost to the very man who killed us. I don't like the coincidence nor do I like that the Headmaster conveniently had the dark artifacts detector turned off two years ago to allow it to be brought into the school. Oddly enough, those detectors which are controlled STRICTLY by the Headmaster were not turned back on last year.**

 **Oh, speaking of last year. You should know that your father and I are rather curious as to what became of the Weasleys at Kings Cross Station on the way to Hogwarts. Why when they drove a car to the station would they then apparate home instead of coming back through the barrier and finding their son Ron and yourself unable to enter the barrier.**

 **I want you questioning everything, Harry. Don't accept the easy answers. Also, you should know that I was very unhappy about you two flying to Hogwarts.**

 **James C Potter**

 **Now that your mother has taken care of that, I would like you to know a few things, Harry.**

 **While I was never the most studious of Lions, I did do well enough in school to be Head Boy my seventh year. Your mother and an old friend of mine, Remus Lupin were always one and two in our house, I was third in Gryffindor and fifth overall behind Snivi-okay, okay, Lily. Severus and another Snake, my friend Sirius Black's cousin Narcissa.**

 **Harry, we are aware of how the Dursleys reacted to your grades, however, Hogwarts was a fresh start for you. Your mother and I would suggest that while you have some free time this summer you go back over your first and second-year course books. Going forward, we would really rather that you spent more time on your school work and less time messing around with young Weasley.**

 **Now regarding your third-year classes, I know that you really want to take magical creatures and that you feel only one additional class is enough, we don't agree and have used a little parental magic to change things.**

 **Divination isn't a subject you can be taught, so we have removed it from your course load and added Runes and Arithmancy. I have watched how easy maths came to you while attending muggle school, I am rather sure you will enjoy learning that subject.**

 **Now before we sign off congratulations on making the Quidditch team. Your mother never played but she was always there to cheer our team on. It's what gave me hope when I felt I had no chance with her. She still supported the team in spite of having no interest in the sport.**

 **Love,**

 **Mom and Dad.**

 **PS- Harry, there is a map that needs to be retrieved from the Weasley twins. Walk up to them and tell them this using those exact words. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Then tell them that that particular artifact belongs to you as the son of Prongs. If they still hesitate just repeat Prongslet says mischief managed. The map will shut down on them. It's important for it to be in your possession.**

 **Love, your dad.**

 **PPS-Kiddo, I forgot to tell you, I was an animagus, my form was a stag, it's also on the Potter family crest, my friends who were also animagii were as follows, Sirius is a grim, which is a type of dog. It's why he was nicknamed Padfoot, Remus Lupin, look at his name and see if you can figure that one out before I continue...**

 **1.**

 **2.**

 **Okay, did you figure it out, if not, Lupin, or lupine, wolf? Remus was bitten as a child and is a werewolf. Lastly, if you should see a rat scurrying around a little too much, have someone check, it might be Peter Pettigrew, AKA Wormtail the fourth of our group. Be careful, Harry, he is more dangerous than he looks."**

 **PPPS- One more thing, most of all son, you should know, your mother and myself, we love you more than life itself. Never feel guilty for what happened. Please, don't ever blame yourself. Only two people are ultimately responsible for our deaths, maybe three if you include the rather bad advice given to us by the Headmaster.**

 **The two people ultimately responsible for our deaths were Peter who betrayed us and Voldemort who wanted us dead. Children are cherished in the magical world, trying to kill a child...**

 **Even Voldemort had trouble getting his death eaters to attempt to do that. It's why we were able to escape for so long. If you want more proof, you should find out why your young friend Neville has so much trouble performing magic.**

 **Love**

 **Lily Evans Potter AKA Mom**

 **James Charlus Potter AKA Prongs AKA Dad.**

Harry set the letter down and wiped away his tears as he fell back onto his pillows. The letter had given him a glimpse into his parent's personalities in a way that stories and pictures never could. He could feel the love in every single word.

Lifting it again, he reread the first paragraph and found it hard not to cry as he realized his parents had wanted to save him from the Dursleys but that no one had been able to. Harry was upset that they had been watching over him as he had been overworked, starved and treated as little better than a house elf.

Finding out that the Headmaster could have prevented that by turning him over to his godparents was a hard blow to deal with for him. He had thought that the man seemed to care for him, but how could he have left him with those people or sent him back to them knowing his parents didn't want him there.

He had already known that the Headmaster wasn't always right, look at the last two years after all. He had seen Dumbledore in the memory that Tom Riddle had shown him. The Headmaster had been at Hogwarts and had known that a girl had died the last time the chamber had been opened. So learning he was mistaken about the protections around Privet Drive didn't completely surprise him.

The permission to leave Privet Drive was great, but he didn't know where to go. He loved spending time with the Weasleys but he knew that wasn't a permanent solution. Besides, it sounded as if his mother had someplace else in mind.

He was also surprised with the knowledge he had godparents. Now he would have to find them and see. Wait, wasn't Sirius Black the name of the escaped convict that he had seen on the muggle television? Deciding to track down a muggle newspaper or even a magical one to see what it said, he made a note to himself.

Reading the part where they wanted him to question things more, Harry grimaced. He seemed to end up in trouble when he asked questions. Still, it sounded like his parents approved so he would keep it up.

Reading his parent's thoughts about who should have come to tell him about the magical world, Harry wasn't so sure about Professor McGonagall, his relatives would have tried to keep her away. Professor Snape. The idea his mom had been friends with Snape was quite a shock to Harry's system. Even more, so that she wished he had seen Harry's aunt and uncle.

Harry suddenly grinned as he imagined his uncle being turned into a toad after being rude to Snape. The thought of the expression on Snape's face as his aunt called him a freak had Harry's grin turned to chuckles. It would almost be worth the tormenting he would get from the Snakes if he could have seen either of those fantasies.

Still, he wasn't sure what his parents had against Hagrid doing so. He had gotten the job done after all. Harry had ended up at Hogwarts and had everything he needed for school, so the keeper of keys had done a thorough job.

Harry read the part of where his mother seemed to be saying that the Headmaster had lied about where Harry lived to Snape and frowned. Why would the Headmaster do that? Why would it matter? Why would his mother think that Snape would have been concerned about Harry if he had known the truth? Lastly, he found himself re-reading his mother's last sentence and found that he really hoped he was wrong and that his father hadn't been a bully like his cousin Dudley.

Making a note of the next part, Harry decided that tomorrow while getting funds to pick up his books and supplies, he would speak to a goblin and do as his parents requested. He was shocked at the knowledge he had more than one vault at Gringotts and couldn't help wondering why no one had told him.

The paragraph regarding Snape he wanted to discard but he would honor his mother's wishes and he only hoped that it didn't result in detention or worse for himself.

Still, the part about his previous two years had Harry grimacing as he admitted to himself that his parents were right. The Headmaster had made some bad decisions. Though, he blamed Lucius Malfoy for what had happened during his second year.

The man had tried to harm muggleborn students and had succeeded in letting a dangerous and deadly snake loose into the school. The part about the car and the Weasleys had Harry pausing and feeling ashamed at what that adventure had cost Mr. Weasley. The man had been in trouble at work because of what Ron and he had done.

Reading that part again, Harry got the feeling that his parents were angry about the flying car but were also angry with the Weasleys for some reason. Laying back and thinking about it, he reread the letter several times before it hit him. Wait, why hadn't the Weasleys came back through the barrier? The year before Ms. Weasley had kept a close eye on her children as they had gotten on the Hogwart's Express. Yet this year she had missed that Ron and he hadn't been there? How was that possible?"

The next part had Harry wincing. While his father didn't come out and actually hollered at him in the written word, it was very clear that his parents expected him to do much better in school. Looking at the textbooks now on his bed, the lazy part of Harry groaned at the thought of so much extra work, but the emotional and mental part wanted his parents to be proud of him.

Vowing to do as they requested this upcoming year and to study more and to reread the books this summer, Harry thought about how often Hermione had had to remind them of homework assignments and how often he had ignored her to continue playing chess or other games with Ron and he was reminded that he HAD in fact been lazy.

Ron would be upset with him, but Harry was sure that he would understand that Harry was only trying to make sure his parents were proud of him for more than making the Quidditch team.

The first postscript had him curious, even more so when he reread their instructions regarding how to retrieve it from the twins.

The word Prongslet was creating an odd echo in his brain, something was calling out to him as he read the nicknames. Prongslet...something told him that his parents had called him that when he had been very small, the same thing with Padfoot and Moony. They were also familiar, like an idea just out of reach.

The last postscript was still on Harry's brain as he drifted off to sleep after an incredibly strange and busy day. That his parents blamed their deaths not only on Voldemort and their friend who had betrayed them but on bad advice from the Headmaster.

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was once again examining the book that he had requested from the former Malfoy house elf when he heard the sound of Severus Snape entering his office.

The Potions' master sat down across from him and said: "I want to go looking for Black."

"No, I need you here, Severus." Looking up from the ruined book, Albus asked. "Did you do as I requested?"

"Lucius has been unavailable each time I have flooed. Narcissa has been rather close-mouthed about why." Snape himself wanted answers and suspected that they had something to do with the book that had enthralled the headmaster all summer long.

"I have to leave on ICW business in the morning. Please keep trying to reach Mr. Malfoy. Also, Harry Potter is staying at the Leaky Cauldron until September 1st, Severus. If you would be so kind as to watch out for him." Albus requested.

Snape sneered and refused before telling the Headmaster that in between tracking down Lucius for him, he would be rather busy brewing the needed potions for the upcoming school year. "If Potter needs a babysitter, why not the Weasleys? I thought that was their job?"

"The Weasleys are in Egypt visiting their eldest son this summer," Albus replied before dismissing his potions master, rather annoyed at the man's continuing resentment towards Harry Potter.

* * *

The man with the curly beard and blue twinkling eyes watched the Headmaster from the portrait on the wall and stayed silent like always. When Dumbledore put the book away, placed wards around the drawer and had left the office, Father Christmas popped out of the painting.

Taking the letter, he propped it up against the Headmaster's ink well before popping back into the painting. Stopping at his various way stations, eventually, he returned home and spoke to his workers.

When they had written down his directions, he went to find his wife who looked up from where she was decorating cookies and asked. "Godric, how was your day?"

"I meet our great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, grandson today. Young Harry was sent a letter from his mother and father." He announced as he changed out of his magical clothes and back into his more standard red and white.

"Oh, lovely. How is he doing?" Helga asked as she placed the last of the cookies in containers and using her wand sent them to the cold storage room.

"He accidentally blew up Vernon Dursley's sister after she was rather rude regarding his mother and father," Godric said with a chuckle.

"Oh dear. Godric, please tell me you didn't put that boy on the naughty list. I am quite certain that woman deserved what she received."

"I didn't return to that realm to punish the boy. I went to prevent a disastrous move by another of my problem children." Godric said sitting down and taking the offered cup of chocolate milk from his wife. "That young man is going to be the death of me. If only Salazar would deal with him personally."

"Oh dear. Not again." She said shaking her head. "I would have thought..."

"Yes, I am afraid so. When he heard about what happened, he once again overreacted. I blame Salazar if he would only speak to the boy face to face. He is heading down the wrong path and needs guidance. His resentment for past injuries has already cost him so much." Godric said as he shook his head. "His friend would help but he has his own issues to deal with. I blame a lot on the Headmaster and his blind indifference."

There was a pop into the room and a house elf handed his boss the latest requests. "We also have some new names added to the naughty list, sir. A young man named Seamus Finnegan has been stealing ingredients to make fire whiskey again. A young witch by the name of Marietta Edgecombe misled her parents regarding what happened in Diagon Alley to the Lovegood girl. Oh, and Pansy Parkinson who has been on the naughty list for the fifth year in a row just sent a hexed letter to another of her classmates, Daphne Greengrass which will give the Greengrass girl spots the upcoming school year."

"Parkinson is now on the banned list. She was given a warning last year after she tried to poison the Granger girl. What about the Lupin boy? Has he accepted the position at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, there was some hesitation, but in the end, he did write a letter accepting the job. Also, the reindeer union is requesting a meeting regarding Rudolph. There are some complaints about the redness of his nose creating night blindness."

* * *

Early the next morning, Albus Dumbledore shrunk his trunk and joined his staff at the breakfast table in the Great Hall. A quick meeting later and he was heading to the floo.

Once the man had left, Minerva transfigured the table from the more formal one the elderly Headmaster insisted on into a round table so that the staff could talk to one another.

"Minerva, has Albus appointed a Defense Against the Dark Art's Professor this year?" Flitwick asked from his seat at the table for sixteen. "I thought we couldn't sink much lower after two years ago, but I truly feel as if Lockhart makes Tellmark seem competent."

"He said that he had found someone but refused to and I quote "Ruin the surprise for us."

"Oh, Merlin." Sprout dropped her head into her hands at that news. "If Poppy didn't give him a good report on his physical, I would swear that the Headmaster is going senile. Minerva, while I like Hagrid as much as any of you, I fear that he is going to make a complete hash of teaching."

Severus looked at Minerva McGonagall who was looking at him for support. "I already voice my reservations about the situation. Hogwart's requirements clearly state that a professor must have at the very least an Outstanding NEWT in the subject that they are teaching."

"I have to agree with Severus. While it is unfortunate what happened to Hagrid all those years ago, a better way of fixing things would be to arrange for a tutor so that he could finish his OWLS and maybe an apprenticeship someplace. Handing him a teaching position without any additional education or guidance is a disaster waiting to happen." Flitwick stated. "The Headmaster once again is putting his personal agenda in front of the good of our students."

Professor Sprout shook her head and added "He is rewarding Hagrid for his loyalty to himself. I have to agree, Minerva. Hagrid is a wonderful person who deserves a second chance, but not at the expense of our students."

Vector, Sinistra, Hooch and even Binns who usually didn't say much during their meetings agreed with Sprout leaving the Deputy Headmistress unsure what to tell them.

Minerva looked at the note she had personally received from the Ministry of Magic and back at her fellow teachers. "I have tried to get him to reconsider before he even spoke to Hagrid but he is insisting on doing this."

When the teachers had departed including Sprout who normally would stay for the summer, Minerva asked Filius and Severus to remain. When the door had been sealed and a silencing charm put up, she looked at them and said "We have another issue to discuss but first let's deal with the teaching situation. I was sent a copy of an internal memo from a contact at the Ministry."

Handing it over, she saw the two men look at each other before they sat back down and tried to figure out what to do. "When did this happen?"

"Last night. While it is written by Fudge, I sincerely doubt that he intended for it to land in my hands." Minerva dryly replied. "Albus refuses to listen to me and seems to believe that Fudge has no authority to do this."

"I will look into the treaties and find out," Flitwick replied. "From the attachment, this is a huge list of items to fix if we want to prevent the Ministry from appointing someone here at Hogwarts."

"I agree. I hate to say it, Minerva but if Hagrid messes up just once, this will bring the Ministry down on us." Severus replied. "What is that about Potter? The headmaster only mentioned he was at the Leaky Cauldron."

"From what I gather, Marge Dursley who was visiting her brother Vernon and Lily's sister Petunia made some rather disparaging remarks about Lily. This went on for some time and Harry's anger over it got the best of him. He inflated her. Thankfully he hadn't had his wand in hand so Fudge just sent in a team to fix things. They decided that it was safer for Harry to be staying at the Leaky Cauldron than at the Dursley residence for the rest of the summer."

"Why would Potter be at the Dursley house? Is there something wrong with Mr. and Mrs. Evans?" Severus asked. He had always liked Lily's parents and they had always been kind to the oddly dressed and quiet boy their daughter had brought around.

"He lives with the Dursleys," Minerva said as she wrote a note to speak to Hagrid. "He has since Lily died."

Snape looked at Minerva and said, "No, Harry lives with Lily's parents."

Setting her quill tip into her ink well, Minerva looked at Severus and said "Severus, Lily's parents died a week after her wedding to James. There was a car accident."

"No, that can't be right. Harry lives with them. I am sure that the Headmaster told me that." Severus said as a scowl grew on his face. "Why would he put Harry with Lily's sister? I wouldn't give Sirius Black to Petunia to raise, she hates I mean absolutely hates magic. She is the muggle equivalent of Bellatrix Lestrange."

Minerva frowned and said, "I told Albus that they were the worst sort of muggles when he left Harry with them but he said that the wards would only work there."

Severus was still trying to deal with the news that Lily's parents were dead, that Potter was living with Petunia of all people. Severus blinked for a moment. "I heard Petunia speaking to her parents at Lily's wedding. She wanted them to disown Lily for marrying Potter. Her father was rather blunt and said that if Petunia didn't want to be related to Lily, they could always disown her. It wasn't pretty. I left not long after that, but I figured that Petunia created a scene about it."

"No, she did create a scene but not about that," Minerva said recalling the wedding. "Peter Pettigrew was doing his duty dances with the bridal party and something happened."

"Back to Potter. I have something I want to look into." Snape said standing. "Minerva, we have to get Albus to see reason before Hogwarts is in the clutches of the Ministry."

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

Harry had awoken at seven but had stayed in bed reading his first and second year charms textbooks and making notes. Tom had brought him up breakfast and had returned to clear the tray so Harry asked him what time it was.

Being told it was nine, Harry jumped out of bed, thanked the man for the food and rushed off to shower. Arriving at the bank wearing his school clothes and carrying his book bag, he scrambled to dig out his key and handed it over to the goblin behind the window.

A bit breathless after removing enough galleons, sickles, and knuts to get his school supplies, Harry was exiting the miner's cart when he asked the goblin if Griphook was available.

The man glared at Harry and grunted before telling him to stand near the pillar. A few minutes later, Griphook approaching and Harry held out his hand for the other man to shake.

When the goblin ignored him, Harry awkwardly dropped it and wondered if he had violated some unknown rule. "Wizard, what do you want?"

"Thank you for meeting with me. I need to speak to you regarding my family vault. I was told to find a goblin I trusted and tell him that my keys were lost when my parents died and that I need a test done." Harry answered nervously.

The goblin stared at him for several minutes before he muttered for Harry to stay there and went off to a small office nearby. Harry saw him knock and enter. The door was closed and a few minutes later it reopened and a rather fierce looking goblin came his way with Griphook looking like he was under arrest between two goblins carrying axes.

"Wizard Potter, Griphook claims innocence. Do you have any proof of wrong doing?" The goblin demanded.

"I..." Harry stared as he saw one of the goblins with an ax point it at Griphook's neck. "Wait, stop. I just asked Griphook to arrange for some test I needed doing because my family vault keys were lost when my parents died. I don't suspect him of doing anything."

"Why did you request he ask for the keys then?"

"HE was the first Goblin I meet and I remembered his name and he seemed trustworthy," Harry said with a shrug.

The fierce goblin nodded and the two with axes left. Harry saw Griphook relaxed just a bit before being told by his boss "Teller Griphook, you are dismissed. Return to your station."

The goblin began to walk towards his office and when he saw the boy hadn't followed he said "Wizard Potter, time is money. Please make haste."

Gulping Harry did as ordered and was soon seated across from the Goblin who asked him if he had his wand on him.

Looking around the dark maroon colored office with only a strange sort of blurry mural on the wall, Harry saw there were a desk and two chairs. When Harry said yes to having his wand on him, the goblin told him to put the tip of his wand on the blurry mural.

A quick blink of the eyes and Harry saw the same design as on the green wax appear clearly defined onto the wall. The goblin grunted and looked at Harry. "You are who you claim to be. I will do a search, wait here."

Harry sat feeling rather uneasy as the Goblin left the office. He returned about twenty minutes later and sat down across from Harry and scowled at the boy. "Wizard Potter, why did Headmaster Dumbledore have your trust key?"

"I-I don't know. I thought he had it because he was my magical guardian." Harry answered.

Grunting as he read the papers in front of him, the Goblin looked up and said "The family vault key hasn't been touched since your father last had it. If you would once again place your wand tip against the painting."

Harry did as requested and a brass key on a dark green woven silk string in the shape of a stag appeared on an almost unseen hook on the wall. "Your key, Mr. Potter. Now regarding Mr. Dumbledore having your trust key. While there has been no improper conduct, from here on out, please do not ask anyone else to retrieve funds from your accounts. If you're unable to come to Gringotts a letter to us signed with your family seal is an acceptable alternative."

"Would it be possible to have someone take me to my family vault to retrieve an item I was told was inside?" Harry asked. After asking if he should apologize to Griphook, Harry was stared at by the Goblin who shook his head.

"Of course, Wizard Potter. However, the funds inside are not available to yourself just yet." The goblin announced and sent for Griphook. "Goblin Griphook, Wizard Potter wishes to be taken down to his family vault. Please do so. Wizard Potter offered to apologize for your inconvenience earlier today."

The goblin glowered at Harry until he heard the end statement. The goblin seemed surprised and looked at Harry as if he had never seen him before. "Wizard Potter owes me no such apology."

A trip to the family vault later, Harry had removed the pensive and a book he had found with his father's name on it under the pensive. Thanking Griphook when he was back on the main floor, he missed the questioning look on the goblin's face when he stated his name yet again.

Leaving Gringotts, Harry returned to the pub and left the book and pensive on the shelf. Looking at the clock, surprised to realize it was lunch time, he ordered some food and scanned the first chapter.

Finding directions to using the pensive, he tested it out, using his memory of the day before. When it worked he took out the memory his mother had mentioned and had placed it in the pensive as well. Looking at, reminded once again of how terrible Snape had treated him, Harry was able to also see that he had been a bit snotty himself.

His lunch arrived and Harry dived into the stew and freshly baked bread and drank the freshly squeezed juice. Skipping dessert in spite of liking treacle tart, he scampered off to go get his new books and supplies before dinner that evening.

Being measured for new robes, picking up ink and parchment, Harry was considering picking up fountain pens in the muggle world when he decided that it would be asking for trouble. after a look through the various books for defense against the dark arts while picking up his third-year books he found one that listed itself as a standard book for second year students.

Paying for it along with the others, minus the one for divination, Harry was considering stopping for an ice cream cone when he saw the crowd gathering around the quidditch supply shop.

Joining the crowd that now included Cedric Diggory and Marcus Flint, Harry was drooling over the broom even as he reluctantly realized he had no need of a new broom. Walking away with a wave at his classmates, Harry was picking up his new robes on the way back towards the pub when he decided to write to Ron and Hermione.

A short letter just telling them about staying at the Leaky Cauldron, leaving out his strange visit from both the Minister of Magic and then from Father Christmas. He wasn't sure if Hermione would believe him if he told her about who had paid him a visit.

He never saw the plain clothes auror who had tracked him in the hope of catching escaped convict Sirius Black, nor that his potions professor had seen him and hightailed it back to the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

Severus Snape was feeling ill as he entered his quarters at Hogwarts. He had intended to head to Spinner's End but what he had seen while checking on Harry Potter had him deciding that the last place he wanted to be was his parent's home.

Heading to his stock of potions, Severus took a headache potion, hoping it would help him deal with the reeling emotions and the pounding in his head. Moving to his wing chair, Severus settled down into it and looked at his shaking hands. He had seen the pensive with the silver strands of memory and hadn't been able to resist looking at whatever Potter had been looking at.

Instead of Potter looking at a prank or reliving his Quidditch glory, he had seen Harry reading an absolutely unbelievable letter and a memory of his first potions class. Severus had already been reeling as he had read the letter over Pensive Harry's shoulder when he had seen the mention of his first potions class.

Going into that memory had felt rather strange to Severus, especially once he had looked at what Harry had been writing in his notes. Now not sure what to think about Lily's son, Severus found himself determined to get answers to the questions he had long been ignoring.

He realized he needed answers from more than Potter but from the Headmaster and Lucius. Standing, he went to pour himself a glass of scotch and was soon seated.

As he mentally organized his list of questions for the various players in this mess, he drank deeply from the rocks tumbler. Leaving his quarters, Severus apparated to the edge of the Malfoy estate in Wiltshire.

When a house elf tried to refuse him entrance, he sent it back with a message to Narcissa stating that either she let him in or he would use the rite of blood to enter. The elf returned to the manor house and then mere minutes later, it appeared again, looked at Snape and then snapping its fingers, lowered the wards.

Snape walked across the huge gardens, rolling his eyes at the ruckus being made by the rather obnoxious peacocks strolling back and forth. Arriving at the manor house, he saw Narcissa standing in the open doorway, twisting her hands even as she greeted him with something that looked like relief.

"I see you are back, shall we say, from Avignon." Severus probed, wanting to see if she would admit the truth.

Narcissa looked at Severus, worried about how he was going to react to what he was about to hear, but she didn't see a single hint of maliciousness in his eyes. "Lucius is waiting for you, in his library."

Striding down the marble corridor, as Severus got closer he could hear the quiet tones of Lucius intermixed with the younger and higher pitched tone belonging to the man's son.

Stopping in the doorway as he heard Lucius telling Draco to go join his mother, Severus smiled at his godson who grinned back and then rushed off to follow his father's orders.

Lucius sighed and then looking at Severus said: "I hate that I can't hide anything from you."

"Does it ever make you regret taking me under your wing during your Fifth year?" Severus said as he moved forward and sat across from Lucius who looked like hell.  
"Why do you look like you spent weeks in Azkaban?"

With an arrogant smirk which quickly faded, Lucius looked down at his hands and replied "I might end up there yet. Did the Headmaster tell you what exactly happened?"

"Something about a dark book and how you passed it to the youngest Weasley kid. That she somehow opened Salazar's chamber and let a basilisk loose in the school."

"That sounds like Dumbledore, keeping the details to himself," Lucius said resting his aching head on the back of his chair. Looking up at the ceiling, unable to face Severus when he was barely able to face himself, he said: "When Draco left for school that first year, I missed him."

"So you thought you would get Hogwarts closed?" Snape asked in disbelief.

With a quiet but bitter chuckle, Lucius lowered his head to look at the dark haired man. "No, I decided that I needed to find a better way to handle missing my son. I decided to catalog and discard anything I didn't want of the various dark treasures belonging to the Malfoy family. My father had always wanted to do it, I just decided I would succeed where he failed."

"Did you?" Severus asked as he stretched his legs to get comfortable.

Shaking his head, Lucius said "Not all of them. I finished accessing everything that was visible first, then went to the blood vaults. While down there, I ran out of parchment, found a blank book and like a muggleborn fool, started writing things down in it. I hadn't even noticed it was the book the dark lord had given to me to keep."

"Shit, Lucius. You're almost forty years old, how could you be that stupid." He said shaking his head in annoyance as he glared at the man across from him.

"Oh, it gets better, the book answered me and I was entranced because I didn't recognize the name in the book," Lucius said still sounding bitter. "Narcissa was concerned, I was completely wrapped up in the book and instead of paring down the items like we had discussed, I began purchasing even more dark objects instead."

Severus began putting two and two together and asked: "What happened?"

"The more I fell under its spell, the worse my behavior became. Narcissa moved to the East Wing and refused to speak to me until I got myself under control. When Draco returned for the summer, she took him off to France and I, well, still in the thrall of the book, I just ignored it."

Lucius stood and went to pour himself a fire whiskey but then recalled that he wasn't allowed to drink, grimaced and handed it to Severus. "Weasley started his raids, seemed to be gaining attention for his muggle protection bill and the book began whispering in my ear that it needed to go to Hogwarts. It kept telling me how it was going to solve both our problems, mine with the Weasleys and his own with Potter. I had told him all about the dark lord and how he was defeated. I only mentioned the boy."

Severus drank the fire colored drink at that point, knowing he was going to need it.

"So, with the diary egging me on, I waited until Narcissa returned and we were in Diagon Alley with Draco. Paid a visit to Borgins and Burkes and when we arrived at the bookstore, I ended up in an argument with Weasley so I stuck the book in his daughter's cauldron. The thing was, the book kept talking to me even after she had it."

Severus watched as Lucius buried his face in his hands, looking defeated. He hadn't seen him looking this bad since... Oh crap, "It controlled you."

With a bitter chuckle the platinum blond raised his head to look into Severus' eyes, Lucius said "Yeah, using my mark. The illusion of freedom, but essentially under the Imperio. I was shocked, he was using my mark to tell me what to do. What is worse, I was the one who told the diary version of him the control words."

"Which was...?" Severus prompted.

"Most of it is a blur but I do remember warning Draco to keep his head down, using my influence to remove Albus. Attacking Potter. It took that nasty bugger of a house elf cracking my head against a wall to knock me out. I uh, when I arrived home, Narcissa called Varius."

"And?"

"Varius had me locked up for my own good," Lucius said with a shudder. "For the last four weeks, I have been working with a mind healer, taking daily potions and trying to separate what is real from the last two years with what was implanted thoughts."

"I'd feel sorry for you if there wasn't a twelve-year-old girl who was the victim of this mess in the exact same way not to mention the students who were petrified," Severus said acidly.

The dark silver eyes glared at Snape, "Do you really think I don't regret that. I might not like muggleborns, but I surely didn't intend for this to happen. Even if that girl is a Weasley, if she went through even half of what I did, Merlin..."

Snape watched as Lucius's tried to still his shaking hands and gather his normally tight grip on his emotions. "Potter destroyed the book."

"I know," Lucius said with a weak smile. "I felt it. It ended the pull towards the darkness I felt, but not the voices in my head. Right now, if I don't take the potions Varius has me on, I still hear them. Oh, it's lessened but I am still hearing them. Narcissa is threatening a legal separation if I don't stay under a healer's care."

Severus was shocked at that news. In spite of their arranged marriage and the horrible beginning of to married life, Lucius and Narcissa truly loved one another. For her to be threatening separation, whatever was going on was worse than he suspected.

"She'd be within her rights," Lucius admitted with a twist of his lips as he stared bleakly into the unlit fireplace. "Severus, I... It was a repeat of the first year of our marriage. I vowed to her..."

Severus saw the wet checks on the man from the dripping tears and with a hint of menace asked "Did you go too far? Lucius, did you hit her?"

Shaking his head no, Lucius told him "No, I just, the coldness, the constant anger, t-the..."

The pale blonde's face was now burgundy as he looked over at Severus and said "I accused her of taking potions to prevent another child, of cheating on me. We were arguing one day in our bedroom, if she hadn't had her wand. I don't know what would have happened."

"Lucius!" Snape snarled at the other man. The lack of other children in the Malfoy household was a delicate subject between the couple. Bellatrix Lestrange had been attempting to curse Lucius and had accidentally hit Narcissa when she had been a mere four weeks pregnant with their second child.

It was rare for a magical mother to suffer a miscarriage, but Narcissa had done exactly that and they had been told that it was likely the reason for having only Draco. Lucius blamed himself because he had been taunting the crazy witch at the time.

With pain filled eyes, Lucius said "She has dealt with so much, put up with everything I have done without so much as a single complaint over the years. Entertained the likes of Fudge, Nott and the Goyles without so much as a social faux pas. Been forced to cut out her heart regarding her other sister and yet..."

Lucius looked at his hands which were holding onto to the arms of his chair to keep them from shaking and then at Severus. "She said that unless I stay with the treatment and find a way to fix what I have done, she is filing the paperwork when Draco leaves to return to Hogwarts."

"Is there anything I can do?" Severus asked quietly.

"No. I will do whatever Varius tells me. The fixing things part is a little bit more complicated." Lucius said with shaking of his head. "I cleared out most of the objects from the vaults, except those heirlooms that I can't because of the family wards. Sold them to the Swiss government."

"You must have taken a huge loss." The Swiss studied dark objects but they loathed their actual existence. All knowledge went towards destroying said objects so the money was never worthwhile.

"I can afford it." Malfoy mirthlessly pointed out. Looking at Severus he said "The Headmaster, let me guess, he wants you to fill him in on things?"

"He was curious about your health. I am guessing he suspects you were under the control of the Diary too. Did you know what he gave you at the time?"

"The Dark Lord never told me, you know how he was." Lucius replied surprised that the other man wasn't aware of that fact. Seeing him tense up, he nodded. "It was his. I had forgotten all about it. Needless to say, I am rather hoping that you are wrong about his possible return."

"If he gave that to you to protect, yes. I would be too." Severus said not liking the topic of conversation. "Why?"

"Why did I not recall who gave it to me sooner?" Lucius said looking at Severus. "That curse that cost Narcissa and I so much. Bellatrix was bragging about a particular object the dark lord had given to her. I was trying to take her down a peg or two."

Harry spend the next day finishing the last of his homework and eating ice cream, Returning to the Leaky Cauldron just before tea time he never saw the dark wizard with the disillusionment charm on him as he placed his books back in his room and gathering some parchment went to sit at the desk and attempt to come up with a list of wishes and wants.

He had written a header for the two separate lists, numbered and created lines one thru twelve but he found himself stumped as to what he should ask for.

When nothing came to him, he sat back and tilted the chair he was seated on so that it was only resting on the back two legs, his quill between his lips as he sucked on the feathery part of it hoping that if he sat there long enough the answers would come to him.

Pulling out a spare bit of parchment, he found himself writing down his most secret dreams.

1\. A family of his own.

2\. No one to pay attention to him for being the boy who lived.

3\. Clothes that fit.

4\. Food to eat when home during the summer.

5\. Less chores, not no chores, but not to be the Durlsey house elf.

6\. To make his family proud of him.

7\. To help the Weasleys since they helped him and have been so nice to him.

8\. Help Hermione to fit in the magical world and never be called that nasty word for muggleborn again.

9\. Save his godfather and find out what happened to Neville's parents.

10\. Find a way for Hagrid to finish Hogwarts.

11\. A peaceful school year with no life or death situations except in Quidditch.

12\. Win the Quidditch cup for McGonagall and Wood.

Prezzies

1\. Clothes that fit.

2\. Glasses that fit and/or contacts.

3\. That firebolt broom (But I don't need it and have perfectly good broom already)

4\. New sneakers.

5\. Fountain pens, because quills just suck.

6\. My own magical chess pieces.

7\. A copy of Hogwart's a History so that Hermione will let up.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Frowning, Harry crumpled up the bit of spare parchment, muttering to himself that he could only do one good deed for others. Plus, he had no idea what he wanted as gifts.

Tossing the parchment out in a nearby waste bin, Harry meandered up to his room with the intent of taking a late afternoon nap, maybe the answers would come to him then.

The disillusioned wizard removed the small charm and accioed the crumpled bit of parchment from the bin and was heading out the door when he saw an auror out of uniform lounging nearby at a table by himself.

Severus nodded at the man, he had seen him speaking to headmaster mere days before as they searched Hogsmead for Sirius Black.

Returning to his quarters at Hogwarts, Severus was about to smooth out the rubbish parchment when he saw his list of memories from Harry's pensive.

Lifting it, he carried it over to his favorite chair in front of the fireplace and in spite of it being the beginning of August, he lit a small fire and poured himself a coffee from the magically appearing carafe which was on the nearby table.

Getting comfortable, he smoothed out the parchment and began to read. Finding the headers of deeds and prezzies, he at first thought Harry intended to achieve each of the deeds and give himself the presents underneath but something seemed off about that idea.

Still when he read the list, a family, less fame, clothes, food, helping his friends and their families, even the last two were more about others than himself.

Severus wanted to deny what he was reading, wanted to say that Harry Potter was a self centered arrogant little mirror image of his father, but...then he found himself looking at the presents part of the list and thought back to what he had heard Harry muttering at the pub and with a heavy sigh realized that the boy couldn't even come up with twelve selfish presents for himself.

Shaking his head, wanting to deny it again and again, instead Severus was reminded of another boy who came to Hogwarts in clothes that didn't fit him or were in bad shape. He couldn't help recalling Lily's words in that damnable letter, the whole reason he found himself stalking one of his students today.

He knew what he had to do, what was needed but if he did this, so many things would have to change. What was worse was that even if he did what he needed to do, even if he allowed himself to care, he knew that in the end, he would be the one once again nursing a broken heart because once again in the end, the Marauders would win because there was no way that Harry would prefer to stay with him over Sirius Black once they proved the man innocent.

That was yet another thing that bothered him, he was going to have to help prove that the man he hated almost as much as his former master was innocent. He was going to have to rescue that moron Sirius Black.

Still, today was August first, that left him thirty days to change the world. With a caustic laugh, Severus toasted himself with his own coffee and then with a look at Potter's damnable lists and then his own list of what Lily wanted done; Severus muttered every single curse word he knew before standing up and exiting his quarters.

If he was going to go to battle, he needed reinforcements and he knew right where to find some. Hogwarts was going to have a little mutiny started by the time the Headmaster returned. Who knows, maybe he might even go to battle with the Wizengamot while he was at it.

Locating his possible co-conspirators, Severus was extremely pleasant as he invited them to a small dinner party at his place the next evening. He didn't give any of them a chance to say no before he moved on to his next victe-er, partner in crime.

An hour later, Severus took the floo home and soon had house elves running around rather excited by the thought that the master had finally, finally decided to let them do what they needed to be doing.

Apparating to the Leaky Cauldron and sending an owl to the DMLE, Severus entered Potter's bedroom, annoyed that the boy didn't have even rudimentary wards on his room.

Quietly calling for the house elves, he had them gather the boy and his belongings and take them to his home. Exiting the room and heading back down to the pub, Severus waited for his expected company to arrive.

When the woman in question entered along with a few members of her auror squad, Severus frowned and said "I asked to speak to you alone, Madam Bones."

Amelia dismissed Kingsley and his new trainee and then looking at Severus Snape said. "They are heading to Diagon Alley to look for Sirius Black."

Scoffing, he said "I thought you were a Ravenclaw. Do you really think that Sirius Black is that insane that he would stroll down the sidewalks of Diagon Alley?"

"The directive came from the Minister." She said before asking what he needed to speak to her about.

"A few different things, including Sirius Black." He said before asking if she would be offended if he asked to speak to her privately in a room.

"In truth, yes." She said. "You and I both know how rumors start. So I hope that a silencing charm will suffice."

Nodding as he pressed his lips together, annoyed at the danger to his plan. Once she had set the charm, he added his own privacy ward to them and then sat down across from her.

"It's your meeting." She said when he didn't speak.

"This is killing me to say, but I think that Black might be innocent of the crimes he was thrown into prison for." He said wearing a dark scowl. "I don't know if you were aware of it, but I was once good friends with Lily Potter."

"Yes, I recall a parting of ways fifth year." She answered.

"You recall correctly." He said. "You also know my past and I have never heard the suggestion from anyone that Black was one of the Dark Lords servants."

"I would need something more than the word of a past childhood foe and possible co-conspirator." She pointed out.

"When you return to your office, locate the trial transcripts. My guess is that it proves rather difficult because I don't think that they exist. I don't think that there was a trial." He said.

"Of course there was a trial. He was found guilty, he had to be in order to be sentenced to Azkaban." She stated.

"Check into it, Amelia. You will find out that I am correct." Severus replied to his former classmate. "When you have done so, speak to Crouch senior, Bagnold but don't bother with the Headmaster, he has his own reasons for wanting to forget the mistakes of the past."

"I will do so if only to prove you wrong." Amelia said.

"I will buy the fire whiskey and dinner if I am." Severus replied as he stood and went to leave.

"Wait, you got me down here for this?" She asked annoyed at his wasting her time with this nonsense.

"No, I brought you down here so that when your lackey following the Potter boy reported him missing tomorrow morning, you wouldn't go tearing apart the countryside. I have removed Potter from his room here at the Leaky Cauldron. There was absolutely no security and the boy is in too much danger to remain here."

With that, Snape exited the pub to the London side and then quickly and quietly apparated home. Locating the house elf, he checked on the still sleeping boy. Placing a charm to let him know when the boy awoke, Severus looked around the out of date bedroom and shivered in spite of the warm air.

Covering him up with the counterpane, Severus left the family bedroom and walked down the hallway to the master bedroom. Grimacing when he saw the colors and the paintings on the wall, he vowed to make that the first rooms renovated after the public rooms and Potter's bedroom.

Soon he had fallen asleep as the house settled down around the two wizard occupants, as the house elves grinned at each other and went to work.

Harry was rubbing his eyes as he awoke. With a large yawn, he stretched his rooms above his head and opened his eyes only to freeze as he realized he was in a different room than the one he had fallen asleep in.

Looking around in panic, he edged off the large four poster bed and began towards the door. Stopping when he saw his pensive as well as his school books on the large desk in the corner, he also saw his trunk was in what appeared to be two double doors that opened to a closet.

"Mr. Potter." Harry jumped startled at the sound of his least favorite teacher's voice. "Calm down, boy. You're safe. You are at Prince Manor."

Harry turned to look at Severus Snape who was standing in the doorway looking very much unlike his normal self. The man was wearing color to start off with. Yes, it was a dark green shirt but it was something other than his standard black. His hair also looked remarkably clean and he wasn't wearing a frown.

Well he hadn't been, Harry corrected that last statement as the man's lips were now pressed together in an expression that indicated he was growing impatient.

"What is Prince Manor?" He asked.

"My ancestral home. I am sure you have several questions but for now, why don't you take a shower and change into the clothes that the house elf placed in the bathroom for you. If they need adjusting, I will be down the hallway in the study on this floor."

With that, Harry saw the man leave before he could gather his thoughts and ask him any questions. Shrugging, Harry went to the only still closed door and upon opening it, felt his eyes widen and his jaw drop.

The en suite was huge. Torn between a bath in the huge tub and a shower in the green and blue marble and glass room the size of his old bedroom on Privet Drive and not the cupboard under the stairs, he was reminded of Snape's words and began to remove his school pajamas.

Looking for the knobs to turn on the water, he found only a silver button. Pressing it and hoping for the best, he stuck his hand in and to his surprise found the water gushing out from all four sides of the shower.

Climbing in and finding the temperature perfect, he saw the green wash cloth and an unwrapped bar of soap. Sniffing it to make sure it didn't smell too girlie, he was glad to notice it smelled a bit of mint and something he didn't recognize.

Fifteen minutes later, feeling clean as he ran his fingers through his now towel tousled hair, Harry found the clothes that Snape had told him about.

Soon dressed in the brand new boxers which still had the crease from where they had been folded, he found that the jeans were a little long but that the shirt which had the logo of the Rolling Stones on it fit perfectly.

Finding new socks, he soon had them on and to his surprise, a pair of the latest newest Nike sneakers were under the ledge by the sink. Using the new toothbrush and mint toothpaste he found there, Harry looked in the mirror and decided he was as good as he would ever be and went to locate his Potion's professor to find out what on earth was going on.

Snape saw Harry entering the study and waved the teenager, wait, was he a teenager yet? Over. Once they were seated across from each other, he called out for Misty the house elf.

The small creature arrived, greeted him and then young Harry who seemed a bit taken back at being addressed as Master Harry. "Misty, would you please arrange for breakfast to be served in there this morning so that you aren't inconvenienced."

The house elf grinned a manic grin and snapped her fingers. The table in front of the duo was soon filled with orange juice, milk, tea and freshly baked crepes with strawberries and whipped cream on top of them. On the side were poached eggs and several rashers of bacon.

Harry was thanking the house elf when she popped out of view.

"Sir, why am I here?" Harry asked as he waited for his Potion's master to begin eating.

"Eat, or Misty will be offended," Snape told the boy when he noticed his hesitation before eating. Once Harry had done so, Snape replied. "Due to the dangers created by your staying at the Leaky Cauldron, it was decided that you would be much safer here at Prince Manor."

"What is Prince Manor and why would anyone want me here?" Harry asked.

"Prince Manor is the estate that belonged to my maternal grandparents. No one is aware that I inherited it and that you are here. It was the safest place anyone could think of short of Gringotts and I assure you that the goblins wouldn't be particularly happy if you were to move into the bank."

Harry saw Snape's lips twitch as he tried not to smile at his statement. "They don't even want to shake hands, if I tried to move in, I would probably meet the sharp end of one of their axes."

"So, you are fine with staying here until school starts, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked.

"If you are all right with my being here." He replied his mind on his promise to his mother to show his Potion's professor his memory. "In fact, I have something I have to show you."

"If this is about the memory in the pensive... I am rather afraid that I broke your trust and already looked inside it. I was rather concerned you were going after Sirius Black." Snape stated.

"I know he escaped Azkaban and his history." Harry quietly said as he tried to stay calm about the violation of his personal property.

"I do apologize for doing so, but with your recent history, I felt it was better to be proactive and not reactive," Snape stated.

Seeing Potter frowning, he realized the boy didn't understand what he had said. "I mean, that it was better to know in advance than have to rescue you later on or visit you in the Hogwart's infirmary. I was hoping to prevent you being placed in danger."

"Oh," Harry said not sure how to react to that statement.

"You should know, Harry." Snape hesitated and then after gathering his thoughts continued "I hope to repair the damage I created these last two years, I owe it not only to your mother but to you. I can only hope you are willing to accept my apology for my past behavior."

Wondering who was really sitting across from him and where the real Snape was, Harry's eyes narrowed suspiciously and asked: "What book did you confiscate from me my first year?"

"Quidditch through the ages." He replied with a slight lilt to his tone at the question even as he lifted his tea cup to drink. "I am myself, I swear."

"What changed? I thought I was an attention seeking spoiled brat." Harry retorted.

"Harry, if I had known you are living with Petunia, I would have removed you from that miserable house years ago," Severus said. "I grew up with your mom, we lived in the same neighborhood. Your aunt was so jealous of your mom's magic that when she found out she would never be a witch herself, it causes a rift between the two that never was repaired."

"Aunt Petunia wanted to be a witch?" Harry asked.

"Yes and when she wasn't, she began calling Lily rather nasty names and trying to hurt her. I would no more turn a defenseless child over to her than I would order Mr. Weasley to work with Mr. Malfoy." Severus said. "In truth, I would do that before I would let any magical child reside with Petunia."

"Why didn't the Headmaster ask you if he knew you knew my aunt." Harry quietly inquired.

"I have no idea," Severus said leaving out that the Headmaster had been lying to him all this time about who had actual custody of Lily's son. Looking at the boy as he finished the last of his breakfast, he asked: "Have you finished your homework?"

"Yes," Harry replied then reluctantly, almost as if he was being forced, he asked if he wanted to look at it. When Snape looked surprised, Harry was breathing a sigh of relief until the man said: "Why don't you go and retrieve it while I speak to Misty."

Harry was about to leave when he had a thought. "Sir, my owl...I sent her to Paris with a note for Hermione."

"She will know where to locate you," Severus stated and when Harry had left, Snape called for Misty and handed her the menu for his dinner that evening. "I want you to keep young Harry occupied here at the manor. Also, I need you to find out if there is a way to locate the Black estate house elves." 

* * *

Harry sat across from Snape watching as the man tore apart his essays. "Charms is decent, but you need to work on your spelling, Harry. You need to expand your Transfiguration assignment. It's a bit light on explanations of what each translation means. Once again your spelling is atrocious, Harry. Do you own a Latin dictionary?"

"No, I-." Harry watched as Snape stood and went to a nearby bookshelf and tossed a small book towards him. When he deftly caught it, he looked at the title.

"Keep it," Snape ordered as he looked at the Herbology assignment. "Other than spelling, this is acceptable."

Harry was relieved when Astronomy and History of Magic got the same criticism but when the wizard looked at his potions assignment, Harry held his breath a bit worried. He had done better than he normally did on the homework but considering that normally he did it in his room under the covers or last minute he was hoping it was acceptable.

He saw the red ink and had to bite his lips to stop from complaining. When Snape laid the quill the side and then handed the assignment back, Harry read the notes and saw spelling marked and to his surprise other than a few comments about expanding on certain parts it was graded acceptable.

"This is better than your usual work." Snape grudgingly stated sounding surprised.

"My uncle locked my books away as soon as I came home with them before the first year and then last year they were locked in the cupboard under the stairs until the Weasleys rescued me," Harry replied. "I had the time to do my work this year."

"Well, you won't be going back there after this. I will make sure of that." Snape replied. "Now, I am not going to insist you work on them right away because it will give you something to do this evening. I have some guests arriving for a small dinner party. At the time I planned it, I wasn't expecting to move you here. Now, would you like to invite over one of your friends so that you aren't bored this evening?"

Harry was stunned, he was allowed to have someone over? Thinking for a minute, he reluctantly replied: "The Weasleys are in Egypt visiting their brother and Hermione is in Paris."

"What about Mr. Longbottom or Mr. Thomas?" He probed.

"Neville might come but I don't know how to locate him or Dean," Harry replied.

"You may borrow my owl to send him a note. He might not come if he knows who you are staying with." Severus warned him.

"Oh, right," Harry said feeling a bit foolish as he realized that spending time during the summer with Snape would be Neville's idea of a nightmare.

"What about Mr. Wood?" Severus asked. "I do believe he lives nearby."

Harry frowned then admitted "We really only have Quidditch in common. I don't know what he does outside of school."

Just as the two were moving on, a snowy white owl flew into the room and landed near Harry's chair. Holding out her leg, she nipped at her owner before allowing him to remove the letter attached to her leg.

Reading it, Harry chuckled and said "It's from Hermione. She's home and is insisting that I come stay with her. She is a bit upset I didn't write to her right away."

"Send Ms. Granger a note inviting her to visit you here tonight," Snape replied.

Harry sent off the owl and was wondering what to say next when Snape gestured for him to sit back down. "Harry, I think we need to talk about the letter from your parents."

"What about it?" Harry asked.

"I won't ask how you got it, I am sure that the answer would be just as complicated as the letter itself. I know your mother's handwriting. It's why I don't question that she wrote it." He stated. "I would like to deal with the Dursleys in a way that ensures you never return there."

"How?" Harry asked.

"I have something in mind, but I need you to trust me." He answered. "Are you up to doing that?"

Harry looked into Snape's dark eyes, finding no answers but that the man wasn't frowning at him like usual had Harry agreeing to do so.

Severus said that they would deal with the Dursleys first and then suggested that Harry might like the game room up on the second floor, asked. "I have to make a few visits around town, will you be all right here by yourself?"

Nodding, Harry followed the man's directions to the game room and found himself in awe of the many varied Wizarding games located in the large wood paneled room.

Finding an assortment of games for one, Harry ended up forgetting the time until Misty entered the room around two and inquiring if the young master would like some lunch? 

* * *

Chapter Five

* * *

Severus went to visit his solicitor and within an hour had the papers he needed to have Petunia and her husband sign. Leaving the squib's office, he went to the Ministry and soon found himself sitting in Amelia Bones' office.

"Okay, I concede that you might be correct. What do you know?"

"I suspect that Pettigrew was the real secret keeper. If Black went after that waste of magic, it was only for one reason. If he had been really worried about retaliation from any of Potter's friends, he would have been worried about Lupin, not Pettigrew." Snape replied.

"I can understand that," Amelia replied. "Remus Lupin, even without his illness would be a formidable enemy."

"Why wasn't the Potter's vaults or will checked? I know that the Headmaster sealed it but I doubt he read it first." Severus said. "Other recent revelations have me doubting that he read it before sealing it."

"What revelations?"

"Harry Potter is living with Lily's sister. I assure you, Lily would send him to Bellatrix Lestrange before sending her own son to live with her sister. I believe that the Headmaster misinterpreted something that Lily did to save Harry and sent the boy to live with his aunt. If he had read the will, he would have known better."

"What is your interest in the Potter boy. From what I have heard you seem to have it in for him." Amelia pointed out.

"For the last few years, the Headmaster has requested I play a part with the intent that when the Dark Lord returns I would go back to playing spy. That it would be the best use of resources. My actions toward Harry were in furtherance of that plan." Snape answered. "That all ended two days ago, at least on my part. I am a known entity to Petunia Dursley and she fears me."

"You are going to get custody of the boy, against the Headmasters' wishes?" She asked a bit surprised. She often thought of Snape as Dumbledore's man.

"His letter inviting him to Hogwarts was addressed to the Cupboard under the Stairs. He was treated as little more than a house elf. I think that there are house elves who are treated better." He replied. "The boy is malnourished, has never seen a muggle doctor and his clothes would fit an overweight hippo. He needs new glasses, was punished for getting good grades. And that is the tip of the iceberg. It ends now."

Amelia deliberated for a few moments and then said: "I will send a notification of Potter being made your ward in the muggle world and find out who his guardian is in the magical world."

"Thank you," Severus replied. "What about Black?"

"I will need more than just your theory to prove his innocence but I will remove the kiss on sight order." She replied.

"If you need me to, I will brew the veritiaserum, myself," Snape replied as he stood. Shaking her head and thanking her for her help and time, Severus left the Ministry via a visit to the Education and Underage Magic Department. 

* * *

"Do you think he intends to poison us?" Flitwick asked in an amused tone as he joined Minerva and Poppy in the latter office as they prepared to floo to Snape's dinner party. "Why are we going to Prince Manor, anyhow?"

"I have no idea. His mother was disowned, at least that was what I believed." Minerva replied as they saw the flames turn green. Entering the fireplace, they soon arrived at the entrance to Prince Manor and were greeted by Severus himself.

"Welcome," Snape replied as he took the witches' cloaks. Offering them to Misty's daughter who was also a Prince house elf, he guided them to the ground floor parlor.

An offer of sherry for the ladies, which was rejected for the fire whiskey, he soon had them seated. Stepping outside to speak to Toffy, he was told that Master Harry and his guest were ensconced in the second-floor library and were eating dinner there as well.

Returning to his guests, he found Minerva admiring some of his great grandmother's trinkets while Poppy and Filius were at one of the huge ceiling to floor windows admiring the expansive gardens.

"Severus, why are we here?" Minerva went for bluntness. "You have never invited us before. I wasn't even aware that you had inherited the estate."

"I need help." He replied. Looking at the three of them, he said "From all of you. I need your help to instigate a mutiny at Hogwarts."

"Is this about the note from Fudge?" Minerva asked.

"Yes and no. Mostly, however, it is because four hours ago, Petunia Dursley willingly turned over legal custody of one Harry James Potter to me in exchange for not facing child abuse and neglect charges for her treatment of Lily's son." He replied.

There was almost total silence at his announcement then Minerva's eyes narrowed as she considered challenging him for what he had done then she relaxed and let out a small chuckle. "What have you done, Severus?"

"Just what I said." He answered. "Petunia Dursley turned over legal custody of her nephew Harry to myself. It was officially filed with the Ministry and can't be overturned by anyone."

"Albus is not going to be happy." Poppy replied while her own lips tilted up into a grin. "Does that mean I have his new guardian's permission to insist on potions and healthy meals for young Mr. Potter? The Dursleys refused to sign the paperwork."

"Yes," Severus said. "Also from here on out, if there is a behavior issue, I expect to be notified. He has already decided to change his electives for the upcoming year."

"I received a note already about that. He is dropping Divination and taking up Arithmancy and Runes." Minerva stated.

"I also paid a visit to the Education department while at the Ministry today," Severus said as he accioed the file on the nearby stand. "I was not happy with what I found out."

Minerva grimaced as she read what he offered to each of them. "How do we deal with Binns?"

"We have no choice but to do something, Minerva. Only four students passed their History of Magic NEWTS and maybe double that passed their OWLS in the subject. There hasn't been an O in the subject going back to when I was a student." Severus pointed out.

"Lily was a bit of an overachiever." Poppy said in a knowing manner.

"Still where do you suggest we get the money to hire a real teacher for the class?" Minerva asked.

Severus looked at her and said "The Headmaster has been pulling off a tenth of our operating budget for the last few years. I know that you can access those funds. Would you be willing to do so?"

"What has he been doing?" Minerva asked shocked. "I thought that the Ministry has been reducing our budget by that amount."

"No, I found the records," Severus said handing them over.

Minerva thought about it and said, "I can always claim that I found the funds and was unaware that he had removed them."

"What was he doing with them?" Poppy asked.

"I don't know but there is no reason for them to be removed from our budget that is legal," Minerva said a bit upset with the Headmaster.

"Binns isn't the only issue," Severus said. "We are the only school in Europe that still offers Divination."

"We can't do anything about that one, at least not this year," Minerva replied. "What do we do with Hagrid?"

With a soft chuckle, Severus said. "I dealt with that one as well. Tomorrow morning, Hagrid is going to get offered his dream job working at the same Dragon reserve where Charlie Weasley ended up. That dragon he had is now there, they are going to ask him to come and work there with it."

"How did you swing that?" Poppy asked.

"Oddly enough, they had already invited him but his arrest last year left a black mark on his record so they rescinded the invitation. I simply sent them an update, of course, it was sent through Amos Diggory who was quite willing to help me."

"That's right, you allowed his son to join your NEWT class in spite of not having the grade didn't you?" Flitwick asked.

"He was close and would have managed to do better if he hadn't been injured in that pickup quidditch game." Severus pointed out. "However, it did help move things along."

"So we are going to need a new Care of Magical Creatures professor?" Minerva asked.

"You should find a note from Hagrid waiting for you back at the castle along with an apology letter to the Headmaster," Severus said smugly.

"Now if you could only solve the problem of the dementors that Fudge wants to place around the school," Minerva said.

"Working on that." He replied. Seeing their surprise, he said, "Now onto Potter."

"What do you need?" Minerva asked.

"He will be fine for the summer but once school starts the Headmaster will find out I am his guardian. I have the letter from Petunia and the Dursleys found they had a sudden need to move to South Africa a few hours later." He replied.

"So the Headmaster can't send him back there." Poppy replied.

"No, he can't. There is also the issue of Sirius Black. I have doubts as to his guilt." He admitted as if it had been torn from his throat. "I can't believe I am saying this, but it doesn't make sense."

"What are you saying?" Minerva asked.

"We need to do something to ensure that Black doesn't end up back in Azkaban. I doubt that even if he is found not guilty he would be capable of having custody of Harry for a few years. He has spent over ten years with the dementors. He needs to be healed before given custody of Potter." Severus replied.

"We should track down Remus Lupin and find out what he knows." Poppy stated.

"I tried. I have spent years trying to locate him." Minerva admitted. "I wanted his help with Harry. I didn't trust Lily's sister and those she and her husband were the worst kinds of muggles."

"He disappeared after the ceremony at Godric's Hollow," Severus stated. "I saw him in the crowd gathered. He looked like hell."

Severus left out that at the time he had taken pleasure in the knowledge of how bad the man had looked, now looking back, he wished he had questioned the man about things if only for Lily's sake.

"I will speak to my cousin," Flitwick stated.

"I do have an issue I need to speak to all of you about. Ms. Granger requested permission to take all five of the electives." Minerva replied. "The Headmaster agreed to let her do so along with having a time turner to manage it, but I am having second thoughts."

"She shouldn't be allowed to," Severus replied and Minerva saw the Filius and Poppy both were agreeing. "Talk to the girl. She is here with Potter, maybe if he is here she might be reasoned with." 

* * *

Upstairs, Hermione was in shock as Harry told her about how Severus Snape had rescued him from the Leaky Cauldron and how he had arrived at the man's house that morning. "Anyhow, he has custody of me in the muggle world."

"Wow, I am surprised you aren't losing it," Hermione stated.

"I found out from a letter that I received from my parents that he was my mom's best friend at Hogwarts and in primary school," Harry said as he played with his food.

"Professor Snape?" She asked completely shocked. "Really?"

"Yes, he didn't get along with my dad because my dad used to bully him along with his friends according to the letter." He replied. "Anyhow, he has been busy today but he went over my homework assignments and other than giving me a hard time about spelling and my Latin, he approved of them. I have to rewrite them but otherwise, he was fine."

"So what happens now?" She asked. "I mean when we are back in school?"

"We haven't talked about it." He admitted. "I should tell you, I have dumped Divination, it sounds like rubbish and I am going to take Runes and Arithmancy."

"I am taking all five of the electives." She said. "So we will be in class together at least three times."

"Speaking of classes." Both teenagers turned to look at their Head of House who was standing in the open doorway. "Severus mentioned you were here, Ms. Granger. I am rather afraid that after a meeting with your professors, Ms. Granger it was decided that it isn't advisable for you to take that many classes. I made a decision as your head of house to remove you from Divination as Mr. Potter is correct. It is simply rubbish. You are either a seer or not, there is no way to learn to see the future."

"But-."

"I have also decided that since the purpose of muggle studies is to prepare magical children to spend time in the muggle world, it is rather useless for you to take the class. I will place both classes as independent studies which will allow you to take the OWLS and NEWTS in each subject if you would like."

Hermione wasn't happy but she could tell that Professor McGonagall wasn't going to back down so she reluctantly accepted her decision.

"Now, Mr. Potter, I was rather thrilled to receive the letter announcing your change in subjects. Severus has told me that you will be spending what time remains for the summer here, I believe that Madam Pomfrey wishes a few minutes of your time before she leaves."

Harry hurried down the staircase towards the room he had seen the house elves working in earlier that day. Coming to a stop when he almost ran down the very woman he was looking for, he was drawn off to a small reception room and handed a note.

Looking at it, he raised his eyes from the paper in confusion at the words on it. "Madam?"

"Your aunt and uncle refused to allow me to assign you nutrient potions. Your new guardian has signed the official paperwork so that I may fix your health. If you wish, there is also a potion that will allow us to fix your eyes."

"No more glasses?" He asked hopefully.

"Yes, but before I can have Severus brew the potion, you have to allow me to do a complete scan of your body. Would you object to my doing so tomorrow?"

"No, no, I wouldn't." He said almost wanting to hug the woman as he gave her a broad grin. "Thanks, Madam Pomfrey."

"Wait until you taste the potion before thanking me, Potter." She warned as she went to the floo and returned to Hogwarts. Harry heard two male voices and looked up to see his Charms professor and Snape entering the room.

"Hello, Harry." The diminutive goblin said as he greeted one of his favorite students. "Severus, I will let you know what I find out about Lupin."

"Remus Lupin?" Harry asked. Seeing them looking his way, he said "I know the name. I heard Tom mentioning him at the Leaky Cauldron. He is the new DADA teacher."

"Well, I never." Flitwick shook his head and called out for Hogwarts as he threw in some floo powder.

"Harry are you sure you heard the name right?" Severus asked.

"Yes, I knew the name because of my letter," Harry replied looking towards his new guardian. "Tom was talking to someone, a wizard who looked a few years older than you, sir."

With a slight sigh, Severus waved his hand towards the nearby sofa and when they had both been seated, said "Harry, for the summer, we can't have you calling me sir or professor. I am going to suggest that you call me by my first name, HOWEVER, you should realize that if you mess up during the school year, I will assign you detention until you are at least a hundred."

Gulping as he nodded yes, Harry stuttered out "Yes, si-er Severus."

"Good, now I believe it is time for you to escort your guest to the floo." He said pointing out that Hermione and Minerva McGonagall were entering the drawing room.

Harry drew Hermione off a bit while the two professors spoke quietly and thanked Hermione for coming over to visit. When she asked if he could spend the last day of summer with her in Diagon Alley he was about to reply yes when he realized he had to ask his new guardian.

"Sir, Hermione wants me to go to Diagon Alley with her on the thirty first." He stated.

"Do you wish to go?" He inquired and when Harry replied yes, he said: "We shall meet her there, maybe you could find out when the Weasleys are returning and make a day of it." 

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

Sirius Black was confused. He had gone to Little Whirng after reading in the paper about how his godson was attending Hogwarts, needing to see him, just once before heading north so that he could reach the school and remove Wormtail.

He had seen Mrs. Figg a squib who used to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix all those years ago and had watched the old woman who had been gossiping with her neighbor regarding an apparently recently moved neighbor.

When she had hurried home, he had attempted to sneak into her house, only to end up crossing paths with her rather alarming horde of cats. Quickly exiting the area, he walked back towards the park only to once again locate the scent that even twelve years later he could identify as Harry James Potter.

Tracking it back, he found himself at a nearby primary school and then further on in the back yard of an empty house. Returning to his base form, he jiggled the latch and soon found himself inside a home with sparse furniture but no personal items.

Happy it was daylight, he hurried up the stairs and when he saw the door with a multitude of locks on it, he growled as he located the strong scent of his godson in spite of it being clear he hadn't been there in at least a few weeks.

Exiting the house, running through the back gardens of Privet Drive he was about to exit the neighborhood when he overheard the first woman he had seen speaking with Mrs. Figg now gossiping with yet another neighbor.

Listening in, he felt his eyes widen as they tore Lily's sister and her family to shreds. When they mentioned the odd little boy and how they had all repeatedly reported them for neglect and abuse, how they had been so disillusioned in how Vernon Dursley had managed to escape jail, he wanted to bite them, to make them pay for not doing more to protect his pup.

Seeing a muggle auror car driving by, he grimaced and was about to head towards Hogwarts when he heard the nearby woman sniffing and then pointing him out to her gossiping compatriot. "Good lord, that dog needs a good bath. We should call animal control on his owners. He looks half starved and his hair is all matted."

Sirius just quickly turned his tail and then had a brilliant idea. As he returned to the Dursley house, he saw clothes hanging on a line outside and after trying to judge his new size, he grabbed a pair of bottoms he believed would fit and a t-shirt that looked a bit older, vowing to send the owners payment once he returned to his human form. He couldn't do anything about his shoes, he would have to wear the boots he had on, but at least he wouldn't scare people off with his scent.

At the Dursley house, he checked the bathrooms, finding a small sliver of soap which smelled like a cheap french whorehouse. Using it to not only wash his body but his hair, he felt at least a bit more human when he turned the water off.

Sitting on the side of the tub, letting the water drain off of him as he didn't have a towel, he heard his stomach grumble and knew he would have to locate something to eat.

Soon dressed and going commando, he entered the kitchen and then the pantry, eventually finding a can of what claimed to be chicken noodle and broccoli soup.

Just heating it in the can, he let it cool some and then

TBC Maybe


End file.
